Israeli security forces arrest 16 wanted terror suspects in overnight raids

IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel's Border Police forces operated throughout Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley area on Sunday night, detaining 16 wanted persons, two of them from the Hamas terrorist organization.

In the village of Shawrawah in the Etzion sector, the forces detained a senior Hamas operative, Tareq Abdallah Ahmad Salem.

During an operation in Wadi Far'a in the Jordan Valley sector, terrorists fired at Israeli forces, while in Jericho terrorists threw a stun grenade. Security forces responded with gunfire and hits were identified.

Terrorists fired at a number of Israeli vehicles near the a-Ziwa Bridge in the Ephraim sector, hitting several vehicles. In addition, several other vehicles were damaged by improvised spikes placed on the road. There were no casualties in either incident. The IDF is pursuing the suspects.

Detained suspects were transferred to the security forces for questioning.

Since the beginning of the war, about 1,850 wanted Palestinians have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley sectors, about 1,100 of whom belong to Hamas.