The IDF on Saturday released footage of IDF troops from the 188th Brigade engaging in intense close-quarter combat with an armed terrorist firing from a tunnel near a school in the Gaza City's Shijaiyah neighborhood.
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The soldiers, responding to the immediate threat, returned fire. During the exchange, one of the soldiers confirmed a positive identification of the assailant in the shaft and deployed a grenade, leading to the elimination of the target. The operation also included the destruction of the tunnel shaft to prevent further use by enemy forces.
"There’s a positive ID on an enemy inside the shaft, I threw a grenade. Target likely eliminated,” one of the soldiers is heard shouting in the video.
This incident is part of a series of actions undertaken by the 188th Brigade in the Shijaiyah neighborhood over the past few days. The brigade's operations have revealed the use of civilian infrastructure, including homes and schools, for storing combat gear and as bases for terrorist activities. The IDF has emphasized the complexity of the urban combat environment, where distinguishing between combatants and civilians poses significant challenges.
The situation in Shijaiyah remains tense, with the IDF maintaining a heightened presence to prevent further hostilities and to dismantle infrastructure used for terrorist activities.
188th Brigade Commander Colonel Or Volzhinsky, reported, "A week ago, we entered combat in the Shijaiyah area. We advanced from the Nahal Oz area and were the first in the division to attack Shijaiyah. During this attack, we faced about twenty anti-tank missile squads. We eliminated dozens of terrorists in the initial assault. The attack occurred at night, with the support of air and artillery forces, as we took control of the neighborhood and entered the heart of Shijaiyah.
“In recent days, we have been engaged in a phase of clearing the area, moving from one location to the other, also with intelligence support, destroying the enemy's infrastructure and killing the terrorists."