2 Islamic Jihad leaders injured, detained near Jenin

Ma'an
Two leaders of Islamic Jihad's armed wing were injured and detained early Wednesday morning by Israeli forces, storming villages west of Jenin.

Ma'an’s correspondent said numerous Israeli forces and special units, assisted by helicopter cover, raided the villages of Al-Yamun, Kafr Dan, and Silat Al-Harithiya at 1am and imposed a curfew in an attempt to detain Al-Quds Brigades combatants Alaa Zayoud, 33, and Bajis Hamdiyya, 32.

Israeli forces surrounded the Hamdiyya home in Al-Yamun, and Zayoud’s home in Silat Al-Harithiya, as well as several homes belonging to their relatives.

However, the combatants were found in a home in Kafr Dan, which was surrounded by Israeli forces, locals told Ma'an's correspondent.

Clashes ensued, locals said, between Israeli forces and the combatants. Both were injured and detained in the incident.

Locals in the three villages told Ma'an that Israeli troops forced locals to leave their homes at gunpoint and said they were assaulted before being allowed to re-enter their homes.

According to relatives of the leaders, they were on the Israeli intelligence "wanted list" for eight years, and have survived five assassination attempts.

An Israeli military spokesman said "early this morning IDF soldiers operated in the north of the Judea and Samaria region [the West Bank]. An inquiry into the report shows no irregular activities took place nor were there any arrests made or injuries caused." Full story