IDF Kills Islamic Jihad Terrorist Who "Escaped" PA Prison

The operation took place Monday morning in the Arab-populated village of Tzieda, west of Netanyah. Tzieda is one of the villages the PA demanded be included in the Israeli handover of Tul Karem six weeks ago. Israel refused, citing knowledge that many terrorists, including those responsible for the recent lethal bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub, were hiding out there.

During the arrest operation, carried out by an elite paratrooper reconnaissance unit, two wanted terrorists opened fire at the IDF force, striking two soldiers. Sgt. Dan Talasnikov, 21, was flown to the hospital with a bullet wound in his head, and died on the way. Another soldier was lightly wounded during the complex operation.

The IDF force returned fire, killing Shafiq Abdul Rani, one of the leaders of the Islamic Jihad in the Tul Karem region. An AK-47 assault rifle was found on his person.

Rani had been arrested for masterminding the Stage Club bombing, which killed five people. He escaped from a PA prison two weeks ago, arousing protest that the PA was continuing its “revolving-door” policy.

Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) issued a report pointing out that Rani’s "escape" indicates that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is using the same “strategies of duplicity that were used by the Arafat regime - arresting terrorists immediately after bombings, only to quietly report their ’escape‘ after the bombing was no longer a news item.”

Talasnikov's funeral will take place at 6 PM in his hometown of Nir Galim, near Ashdod. He is survived by his mother and stepfather, as well as by his older brother Jan, a famous professional soccer player who is planning to be married next month.