Palestinian gunmen fire at settlement, causing damage to home
Military launches manhunt for suspects in latest attack against Shaked, some 10 kilometers west of Jenin in northern West Bank
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Palestinian gunmen fired a hail of bullets Wednesday afternoon at a settlement in the northern West Bank, the military said.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, slight damage was caused to a home in the settlement of Shaked, which is located close to the security barrier, about 10 kilometers west of the Palestinian city of Jenin.
There were no injuries in the attack. The settlement has been targeted several times in recent months.
The IDF said troops launched a manhunt for the suspects, who fled the scene. The bullets — at least 39 rounds — were fired from outside the settlement.
In surveillance camera footage published by the Samaria Regional Council, heavy gunfire could be heard during the attack.
In recent months, Palestinian gunmen have repeatedly targeted military posts, troops operating along the West Bank security barrier, Israeli settlements and civilians on the roads.
The number of shootings has decreased in recent weeks, following major gains by the IDF against the Nablus-based Lion’s Den terror group, which had claimed responsibility for near-nightly shooting attacks.
The attacks came amid an Israeli anti-terror offensive mostly focused on the northern West Bank to deal with a series of Palestinian attacks that have left 29 people in Israel and the West Bank dead since the start of the year.
The operation has netted more than 2,000 arrests in near-nightly raids, but has also left over 130 Palestinians dead, many of them — but not all — while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces.
