Israeli bus under shooting attack near West Bank settlements: Army

Tel Aviv, Jan 16 (IANS) An Israeli bus driving between Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank came under a shooting attack, the army said in a statement.

No injuries were reported in the attack, which took place at Gush Etzion, a major settlement bloc in the central West Bank, it added.

After the bus was hit by gunshots, the Israeli troops launched searches in the area, but the assailants have remained at large, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

It was the latest incident in escalating tensions in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has been carrying out daily arrest raids since March 2022.

Israel says the raids aim to arrest suspects in a string of attacks that killed 29 people.

The West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip, was seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Despite international condemnations, Israel has maintained its control over the territory.