Israel Police on Tuesday published headcam footage of the operation against the Lion’s Den terror organization in Shechem overnight Monday. New details of the operation were also revealed on Tuesday.

The operation began when the Shin Bet discovered that the leaders of the Lion’s Den terror group were meeting in a fortified compound in the Kasbah of Shechem. The Shin Bet alerted the IDF and Border Guard and operatives from all three forces launched the operation.

IDF forces were the first to enter Shechem and did so by foot, entering a secret apartment owned by Lion’s Den leader Wadee al-Houh [who was eliminated during the operation], which also served as a laboratory for explosive devices. The IDF forces blew up the lab, killing al-Houh and four other terrorists.

In the headcam footage below, Yamam counterterrorism operatives can be seen surrounding the building and hurling grenades at it.

The terrorists had believed the hideaway was safe from the IDF because of its location in the narrow winding streets of the Kasbah.

According to Israeli security officials, Lion’s Den consisted of no more than 30 terrorists and was responsible for about 20 attacks.

“It isn’t a well-organized squad,” the officials said, as quoted by Ynet. “Until this operation, we killed two or three members of the group, arrested five and others were arrested by the PA.”

“The killing earlier this week of another of the group’s members and our continued pressure is meant to prevent the situation in Shechem from deteriorating to a similar security problem that Jenin has become.”

The officials said that the three-hour operation was carried out successfully and caught the terrorists unprepared. “As soon as we entered the area, riots broke out. With the intelligence information we had, forces carried out their mission well,” said one official.

“We knew there were explosives in the apartment and that they would be used by the group after the terrorists used similar devices in a number of previous attacks.”

“Palestinian nationalists who aren’t affiliated with any terror organizations have been launching attacks. They aren’t well-organized and aren’t the best terrorists in the world but because of their proximity to the Shomron, they are a challenge to deal with.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)