The Israeli army said Tuesday that its troops had killed a gunman who critically wounded two soldiers when he opened fire at a military post in the occupied West Bank.
“A terrorist fired at soldiers at a military post in Tayasir. The soldiers exchanged fire with the terrorist and killed him,” the military said in a statement.
Israeli emergency services said six people were treated at the scene and evacuated to hospitals for treatment.
Israeli army radio reported that two of the soldiers were in critical condition.
Israeli forces have been engaged in what the army says is “an operation to thwart terrorism” in the northern area of the West Bank, primarily in the area of Jenin, long a hotbed of militancy.
On Sunday, the army said that it had killed at least 50 fighters since it launched an operation on January 21, while the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah said Israeli forces have killed 70 people in the territory since the start of the year.
The operation has also seen troops levelling buildings in a refugee camp adjacent to Jenin.
The offensive has drawn sharp condemnation from the Palestinian Authority, which called Israel’s actions “ethnic cleansing”.
