Israeli security forces kill 3 Palestinian militiamen

Jerusalem, Feb 8 (EFE).- Three Palestinians attached to a “terrorist cell” responsible for recent attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians were killed Tuesday in the West Bank city of Nablus, Israel’s government said.

“Our forces proved today, again, that there is no immunity for terrorists. Whoever hurts us will be hurt,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said following the joint operation involving the Shin Bet internal security agency, the Border Police and the Israel Defense Force.

The men were shot inside their vehicle.

Though Shin Bet said that the men died in a clash, police subsequently clarified that while the Palestinians had assault rifles, they were “neutralized” before they could open fire.

The Palestinian Authority denounced the killings as an extrajudicial execution and said that the silence of the international community “encourages the Israeli occupier to continue in its open warfare against the Palestinians.”

The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement, identified the men as Ashraf al-Mubaslat, Adham Mabrukeh and Mohammed al-Dakheel and said that they were members of the organization.

A fourth Palestinian traveling in the same vehicle was arrested, Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa reported. EFE lfp-jma/dr