Undercover forces invade Nablus, kidnap at least eight residents

Friday May 25, 2007 05:07 by Amin Abuwardeh - IMEMC

On Thursday evening, undercover forces of the Israeli army infiltrated into Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and kidnapped eights residents, including activists who are wanted by the Israeli security.

Balata invasion - Archive

The forces infiltrated into the camp through its northern and southern entrances and surrounded a Coffee Shop before breaking into it.

The shop is located on the main entrance of the camp and was filled with Palestinian youth; the undercover forces initially sat in one of the corners of the shop and waited until the army started advancing into the camp before they exposed their cover and pointed their mini automatic guns at the residents.

Eyewitnesses identified the kidnapped residents as Wael Dandan, Salah Al Ajrami, Hani Abu Riziq, Ra’ed Al Assy, Ibrahim Saqer, Taiseer Al Assy and Bassam Al Assy.

The eyewitnesses said that the undercover force was composed of eight members, four were sitting inside the Coffee Shop and force were located near the back door of the shop.

Later on, several fighters arrived to the scene and exchanged fire with the soldiers while the army called for further forces as enforcement and placed the kidnapped resident in a military camion before speeding out.

Medical sources in Nablus reported that one women was injured in her right arm as the army fired rounds of live ammunition in several directions.

The invasion was carried out only two days after the undercover forces invaded the camp and kidnapped Wa’el Esthewy, one of the local leaders of the Al Aqsa Brigades. He was kidnapped as he was heading back home from university.

Several Palestinian residents were kidnapped on Thursday as the army invaded Tulkarem, in the northern part of the West Bank, and several other Palestinian areas. Soldiers also broke into, and searched dozens of homes.

Translated by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC 

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