 IDF troops gun down four terrorists near Gaza border Nov. 12, 2008 Yaakov Lappin, Jpost.com staff and AP , THE JERUSALEM POST Palestinians fired six mortar shells at Israeli communities in the Western Negev late Wednesday afternoon, several hours after clashes between IDF troops and Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip killed four Palestinians. The Islamic Jihad terrorist group claimed responsibility for firing the shells, which landed in open areas and did not cause any injuries or damage. Earlier, IDF troops had gunned down four Gaza terrorists as fresh clashes raised new concerns that the increasingly shaky five-month-old truce could collapse. Troops spotted a group of Palestinian gunmen some 300 meters from the Gaza border, near the Kissufim crossing, the army said. The gunmen were apparently planning to plant a bomb near the fence. The soldiers crossed the border and entered the Strip in pursuit of the gunmen, the IDF said. In the ensuing firefight, four terrorists were killed and an IDF soldier was shot in the hand. The soldier was evacuated in light condition to Sokora Hospital in Beersheba. The army said that an explosive device was detonated by the terrorists during the incident and that AK-47s and grenades were found on the bodies after they were killed. Shortly after the firefight, a number of mortar shells were fired by Palestinians at Israel, landing on the Israeli side of Kissufim. The IAF carried out two air strikes in the Khan Yunis area, the IDF added. The army said there has been a significant rise in recent days in attempts by terrorists to plant explosives along the border in an effort to attack army patrols. Hamas's military wing threatened retaliation. "The anger of our people and our resistance will reach everybody, God willing, and our response to the enemy will be painful, and will spill the Zionists' blood," the wing's spokesman, Abu Obeida, said in a statement. Hamas stopped short of saying the truce was over but said gunmen would fight any entry of IDF troops into Gaza. "This is a clear violation of the truce, and the resistance has every right to respond to an attack," said Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman. The latest clash came one day after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited the IDF's Southern Command, where he was briefed on the preparations being made by a Hamas-led coalition of terror groups. Israel and Hamas were on an inevitable collision course, Olmert said following the briefing. "It is merely a question of when and not a question of if," Olmert warned. Defense Minster Ehud Barak, who accompanied Olmert on the visit, added, "The IDF is prepared, alert, and ready for any possibility. We are looking at this relative calm around and we know that many things are happening under the surface." Last week, IDF special forces raided a tunnel dug by Hamas near the Israeli border, which the army said was to be used in an imminent kidnap attempt. The raid, which involved an armed clash with Hamas gunmen, killing a number of them, led to over 60 rockets being fired on southern Israel in the following days, and a number of Israeli air strikes on rocket launching crews. This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1226404710434&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull  IDF Kills Four Terrorists in Gaza Clashes Cheshvan 14, 5769, 12 November 08 04:51 by Hana Levi Julian IDF soldiers returned to Gaza (illustrative)(IsraelNN.com) IDF troops killed four Arab terrorists and wounded several others as clashes resumed after mortars were fired from Gaza at Jewish communities and terrorists planted a bomb at the Gaza security barrier late Wednesday morning. Late Wednesday afternoon, Gaza terrorists fired four mortar shells at the Jewish communities of Nahal Oz and Alumim. There were no reports of casualties or damage. Gaza-based terrorists fired three mortar shells at the Kisufim Crossing into central Gaza just before noon, less than an hour after the cabinet decided there was no need to increase the budget to fortify all the homes in the Gaza Belt that would not be protected by the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system. Soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade were embroiled in clashes with terrorists in southern and central Gaza while Israel Air Force fighter pilots shot missiles at selected targets in the region. Troops near the Kisufim Crossing spotted five Arab gunmen approaching the southern Gaza separation barrier. The soldiers crossed into the area near Khan Yunis to intercept the cell and killed four terrorists. Hamas's military wing, the Al-Kassam Brigades, confirmed that its forces were involved in the shootout. One IDF soldier was lightly injured in the exchange as well and was evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. According to the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency, witnesses reported that IDF tanks and armored bulldozers entered Gaza approximately 300 meters inside the security barrier east of the town of Al-Qarara. Voice of Israel government radio reported that clashes continued throughout the early afternoon hours. © Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com Subscribe to the free Daily Israel Report - sub.israelnn.com |
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
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