Posted on 03/10/2002 5:11:34 PM PST by l33t
Filed at 8:48 p.m. ET
QALQILYA, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli tanks rumbled into Qalqilya early on Monday in what appeared to be a widescale raid of the Palestinian-ruled West Bank town, Palestinian security sources and residents said.
About 50 tanks and armored personnel carriers, covered by helicopter gunships, thrust into Qalqilya in the middle of the night, they said. The forces cut the electricity supply to the town moments before entering, residents said.
The Israeli army declined immediate comment on the operation, which appeared to be similar to a large-scale raid into the town of Tulkarm last week in what the army said was a sweep for militants behind bombing and shooting attacks against Israelis.
The roar of tanks and buzz of helicopters hovering overhead awakened Qalqilya residents at around 2:30 a.m. as the raid began from three directions.
Israeli forces thrust as deep as a half mile into Qalqilya which is located near the Israeli city of Kfar Saba.
Palestinian security officials said Israeli tanks destroyed a checkpoint held by Yasser Arafat's Force-17 presidential guard, lightly wounding three members of the elite unit, as they rolled through the town's streets.
Residents heard bursts of fire from machineguns mounted on tanks. There were no reports of resistance by Palestinian gunmen who often fire at Israeli forces during raids into Palestinian-ruled areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Qalqilya was handed over to the Palestinian Authority under an interim peace deal signed in 1995.
Israeli ground troops withdrew from Tulkarm on Saturday but officials promised similar operations in other West Bank towns and cities, including Bethlehem where Israeli tanks and soldiers have already taken positions on the city's outskirts.
Hundreds of armed Palestinians were captured in the raid into Tulkarm, which was the most extensive Israeli military operation since a Palestinian uprising against occupation erupted in September 2000 after peace negotiations stalled.
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