Israel Defense Forces are claiming terrorists used a mosque in the West Bank city of Jenin to store ammunition and weapons and as a base of operations.
“Yesterday, we operated to extract armed gunmen, who were using a mosque as a cover for terrorist operations,” the IDF tweeted Tuesday. “Today, soldiers completed the mission by confiscating the hundreds of different weapons and ammunition, and eliminating the underground pits and shafts used by the terrorists underneath the Mosque.”
In a tweet Monday, the IDF identified building as the al-Nasr Mosque, although other reports said it was the al-Ansari Mosque.
“Holy places, such as the al-Nasr Mosque, should not be used as a front for terrorism,” the IDF tweeted. “Packed with loads of ammunition, and two underground pits containing explosive devices, this is just one example of how terrorists abuse the citizens of Jenin. We will continue operating until the terrorists of Jenin are no longer a threat on the stability of the area.”
On Sunday night, the IDF launched its largest operation in Jenin since the second intifada in July 2000, with a series of more than 10 airstrikes and moving troops into the northern West Bank Palestinian city.
The Times of Israel, which was among the media outlets that reported the mosque was named al-Ansari, said Israeli forces gained control of the mosque on Monday afternoon, following a shootout with Palestinian gunmen in the area. The IDF said it carried out a drone strike against the armed Palestinians outside the mosque and then managed to break in.
On the ground floor, troops found two tunnel openings that the IDF said were connected. Explosives, weapons, and other military equipment were found inside.
“All of this excavation work in the mosque has turned it into a fortified site,” said Lt. Col. “Mem,” the commander of the IDF’s elite Egoz unit, who can only be identified by his rank and initial of his first name in Hebrew.
The Times of Israel also reported the Israeli military began to withdraw troops Tuesday night from the area, although clashes with Palestinian militants continued.
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