IOF troops arrest 18 Palestinians including prominent Jihad activist

 NABLUS,  — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 18 Palestinians on Wednesday and Tuesday including a prominent commander of the Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, in Nablus city.

Local sources said that the IOF arrested 14 Palestinians in Nablus and Al-Khalil districts on Wednesday, 12 of them from Nablus.

The IOF command said that it arrested Salah Bukhari, 36, a prominent Jihad activist, among four Jihad cadres on Tuesday in Nablus, for charges of masterminding a commando operation back in 2002 in addition to other charges such as shootings, trying to capture IOF soldiers, planting explosive devices and preparing booby-trapped cars.

In Yamon village, Jenin district, the PIC correspondent reported that tens of IOF armed vehicle stormed the village to back up special forces in surrounding the home of Bajes Hamdia, another Jihad activist, on Tuesday.

He added that the sound of exchange of fire was heard till the early dawn hours of Tuesday before the IOF troops broke into many citizens’ homes.

Hamdia managed to escape unharmed, the reporter noted, adding that the Jihad activist had survived several assassination and arrest attempts while his brother Majdi, 35, is held by the IOF at an unknown location.