Palestinian killed after attempted stabbing, says Israeli military

Jerusalem, Jan 25 (EFE).- A Palestinian man was killed after he allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack against an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said Wednesday.

“An armed assailant arrived at an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) military post adjacent to the town of Kadumim and attempted to stab an IDF soldier at the scene,” the IDF wrote on Twitter.

“The assailant was neutralized by the soldiers in the area. No IDF injuries were reported,” it added.

Aref Lahlouh, 20, was shot dead near the northern city of Qalqilya, the Palestinian health ministry confirmed.

According to Palestinian media, Lahlouh died in front of his mother and brother.

So far this year, 19 Palestinians have been killed in connection with military operations or clashes with troops.

There have been intense Israeli raids and armed clashes with Palestinians, especially since late March last year when Israel launched a military operation it calls “Breaking the Wave” in response to a wave of attacks by Palestinians on Israeli soil.

Since then, violence has been on the rise, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The fatalities have mostly been militants, but also include children and civilians such as Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh.EFE

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