Three armed Palestinians were reportedly killed Wednesday afternoon when they tried to infiltrate into Israel’s southern Negev Desert from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. After the gunbattle, an explosive device ready to carry out a suicide attack was discovered on the body of one of the Palestinians.
A patrol of Israeli military trackers discovered the infiltration and began to chase after the men during which a gunbattle erupted between the sides.
Two Israeli soldiers were lightly to moderately wounded in the gunbattle near Mount Kharif, located about halfway between the southern Gaza Strip and the Israeli port city of Eilat.
Wounded Israeli troops were treated on the scene.
Earlier, the Israeli army said its forces operated overnight in Beit-Likia village, west of Ramallah, and arrested three Palestinian activists.
Jerusalem
A Palestinian killed his Israeli employer, early Wednesday in a coffee factory in the Atarot industrial area, located north of Jerusalem and on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Ramallah, witnesses said.
An armed faction associated with Fatah – The Return Brigades - claimed responsibility for this attack.
Reports said the Palestinian, who had worked at the factory for about three years, walked into the employer's office and shot him twice in the head at close range, then fled the scene.
The Israeli army, police and Shin Bet personnel launched a manhunt for the attacker.
Last Friday, an Israeli was killed near this industrial zone.
Also on Wednesday, a Palestinian was shot dead and two others wounded by Israeli forces in an exchange of fire at the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, Palestinian security sources said.
Imad al-Mograbi, 25, was killed in the shootout early Wednesday between armed Palestinian groups and Israeli troops. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
