JERICHO, 2 February 2004 — A Palestinian militant from the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades was shot dead yesterday during a gun battle with Israeli troops in the West Bank town of Jericho, Palestinian and Israeli security sources said.
Palestinian security sources said Shaadi Misem, a wanted militant from the northern town of Jenin who was hiding in Jericho, was critically wounded by gunfire during the clashes and died shortly afterward.
Israeli military sources confirmed an armed Palestinian militant had been shot dead during clashes and said he belonged to the Tanzim, Israel’s term for militants linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement.
His death brings to 3,732 the number of people killed since the outbreak of the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, in September 2000, including 2,789 Palestinians and 875 Israelis.
Palestinian medical sources said seven people were injured during the operation, five who were suffering from gunshot wounds and two who had been beaten up.
Following the six-hour operation, an Israeli military source said troops had entered Jericho to arrest wanted militants linked to Fatah who were “preparing an attack in the near future”.
“During the operation, the force surrounded a house in which the gunmen were hiding. A gunman came out of the house carrying a Kalashnikov and troops shot him,” the source told AFP.
