6 Palestinian gunmen killed as heavy clashes erupt near Jenin during IDF raid
Army says it used 'pressure cooker' tactic to force suspects from building they holed up in, called in attack helicopter to strike compound
Israeli forces on Tuesday engaged in intensive clashes with Palestinian gunmen during a counter-terrorism operation in a northern West Bank town near Jenin.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, troops came under heavy fire as they entered Kafr Dan, where Duvdevan commandos encircled a building used by terror operatives.
An IDF statement said the soldiers used a tactic known as “pressure cooker” that involves escalating the volume of fire directed at a building to force suspects to come out.
The military said an attack helicopter was also used to strike the building amid the operation.
The troops killed six gunmen in ensuing clashes and wounded others, the IDF said, with the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry also confirming that six Palestinians were killed during the mission.
The IDF said the commandos seized two assault rifles and a handgun that belonged to the gunmen, as well as a car with several explosive devices.
No soldiers were hurt in the raid, during which troops shot back at gunmen with shoulder-launched missiles.
The operation came on the heels of another deadly raid on a West Bank town near Ramallah that targeted a Hamas commander and three other terror suspects following an arson attack on a nearby settler outpost.
Since October 7, troops have arrested some 4,150 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,750 affiliated with Hamas. According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, over 540 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time in addition to the four that were killed Monday night.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.