Shots fired at IDF amid violent clashes during overnight raids

IDF troops were shot at during clashing with Palestinian protesters early Thursday morning during a raid in the West Bank town of Qalandiya, north of Jerusalem.

No soldiers were injured in the incident, the army said in statement.

According to Palestinian media reports, security forces raided dozens of homes and businesses in the town, including the Rajh Medical Center and the local youth center.

The army said soldiers from the Binyamin Brigade including the elite Duvdevan unit arrested two terror suspects and seized weapons stockpiles of knives, guns and ammunition during the operation but were met with violent protests from Palestinian youths.

“The operation was accompanied by riots in which hundreds of Palestinians threw stones, rocks, Molotov cocktails and other objects from roofs at the security forces. The soldiers responded with non lethal anti-riot measures [which can include rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannon],” the army statement read.

The raid comes one night after three soldiers were wounded from friendly fire during a similar operation in Qalandiya when an assailant attempted to ram his vehicle into Israeli forces. The troops opened fire on the attacker, killing him on the spot but also injuring nearby troops. In a second incident, another driver attempted to run over soldiers in the refugee camp. He too was shot and killed. No troops were wounded in that instance.

Thursday’s raid came as part of a series of overnight operations across the West Bank. The IDF said a total of 19 Palestinian terror suspects were arrested, including four men described as Hamas members. Ten of those arrested are suspected of direct involvement in recent attacks on civilians and security forces.