Israeli wounded by explosive device in Samaria

An Israeli was lightly wounded on Sunday morning by an improvised explosive device near Kochav HaShahar in the Binyamin region of Samaria.

The victim, whom the IDF later identified as a military reservist on vacation, was attempting to remove a PLO flag planted on the side of Route 458 when the bomb exploded.

Medics treated the victim at the scene; he declined to be evacuated to the hospital for tests and further treatment.

The IDF said that soldiers were searching for suspects in the area following the incident.

Earlier on Sunday, Israel Defense Forces troops foiled a Palestinian terrorist attack near Hebron in Judea.

Troops killed two terrorists near the Beit Einun interchange after one opened fire on and the other attempted to stab soldiers.

No Israelis were injured.

In Samaria over the weekend, the IDF conducted a 40-hour-plus counterterrorism operation in the Nur Shams camp adjacent to Tulkarem, killing more than 10 Palestinian gunmen and detaining many others.

Muhammad Jaber, Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s terror chief in Tulkarem, was reportedly among those slain.

During the raid, forces uncovered an explosives lab and confiscated weapons, including M-16 rifles.

Eight IDF soldiers and a Border Police officer were wounded.

On Friday, the IDF gave notice of its intention to confiscate and destroy the house of the terrorist who killed two Israelis at a Samaria gas station in February.

The terrorist, Muhammad Manasser, an officer in the Palestinian Authority police and a resident of Qalandiya, was slain after shooting and killing the two Israelis on the afternoon of Feb. 29 at a gas station outside the town of Eli in the Binyamin region.

The victims were identified as Yitzchak Zeiger, a 57-year-old father of three and grandfather of two from Shavei Shomron in northern Samaria, and Uria Hartum, a 16-year-old high-schooler from Dolev in Binyamin who had hitched a ride with Zeiger.