An Israeli police officer was murdered in the course of duty on Sunday night in a shootout with arms traffickers in the Arab village of Zalafa in northern Israel.

He was identified on Sunday morning as Niv Peretz, H’yd, 28. He was born in Afula, where he attended a local yeshiva high school.

The police said that the slain officer was part of a team carrying out an operation against an Arab arms trafficking gang in the Wadi Ara area. After the officers identified suspects and began pursuing them, the Arabs opened fire, and a shootout took place, during which the police officer was seriously injured. He was evacuated in critical condition, and his death was pronounced at the hospital.

A large number of security forces rushed to the area and began a manhunt for the shooters. At the same time, an investigation was opened to clarify the circumstances of the incident.

On Monday afternoon, the police announced that Yamam and Shim Bet operatives arrested two suspects in the murder near the Haifa port.

YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)