Fighter, child killed by Israeli troops near Tulkarem

Friday August 24, 2007 22:02 by IMEMC Staff

On Friday evening, Israeli soldiers shot and killed one leader of the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, after the army invaded Saida village, north of Tulkarem in the northern part of the West Bank. During the military offensive, soldiers also shot and killed a 13-year old child.

Local sources in the village reported that the killed fighter is identified as Ziad Milhim, 22, one of the leaders of the Al Quds Brigades.

Milhim was shot dead during an exchange of fire with the invading forces after troops surrounded the house of another fighter identified as Sadeeq Odah.

During the same offensive, soldiers shot and killed Mahmoud Ibrahim Al Qareenai, 13, from Rahat village in the Negev. Al Qareenawi is the half-brother of Odah, and his mother if from Rahat in the Negev; the mother and the child were visiting the village when the invasion took place.

Medical sources in Tulkarem reported that Milhim, from Kafer Ra’ey village near Jenin, was hit by several rounds of live ammunition, while the child was hit by a live round in his head.

Israeli military sources reported Sadeeq Odah suffered serious injuries during the invasion was moved via an Israeli ambulance to an Israeli hospital. Meanwhile, the fate of Safwat, the brother of Sadeeq, who was apparently present in the area, remains unknown.

Eyewitnesses reported that the attack was carried out when under-cover forces of the Israeli army infiltrated into the Saida using a local licensed vehicle. The vehicle parked near the house of Sadeeq Odah and the soldiers jumped out of it and surrounded the house.

Shortly after that, an exchange of fire was heard and ordinary troops, supported by armored vehicles, invaded the village from several directions, and the soldiers occupied rooftops of a number of houses.

One woman, the mother of Najah Amin Abdul-Qader, who was previously killed by the army, was injured during the invasion, in addition to a child identified as Mustafa Ali Hafaitha.

Dozens of youth took off to the streets and hurled stones at the invading forces, while soldiers fired rounds of live ammunition and concussion grenades; one house was burnt while the soldiers obstructed fire trucks from reaching it.

The Al Quds Brigades issued a press release stating the Milhim is one of its leaders in the northern part of the West Bank, and vowed retaliation to his death and the death of the child.

The Brigades added that assassinations and attacks will not deter it from continuing its operations against the occupation.

Meanwhile, an Israeli military source claimed the military offensive targeted Sadeeq Odah who is behind planning attacks and suicide bombings in Israel.

Translated By Saed Bannoura - IMEMC 

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