Palestinian security forces have launched a rare crackdown against local militant groups in the northern West Bank.

The Palestinian government has been carrying out a rare and lethal sweep against militants in a flashpoint West Bank city, saying it was needed to foil an imminent car-bombing and other attacks.

In an unusual move, Palestinian security forces have initiated a crackdown on militant groups in the northern West Bank, engaging in intense gunbattles and resulting in at least two fatalities. This marks a rare operation by the Palestinian Authority to restore order in a volatile area dominated by groups like Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

The authority, which has struggled to crack down on powerful armed groups in the territory, is under pressure from the United States to escalate law-and-order operations.

Palestinian Authority security forces on Sunday continued a rare crackdown on terror strongholds in Jenin. An Israeli military source described the raids to The Press Service of Israel as “the most serious Palestinian operation in recent years.

The rising death toll in the clashes could continue to get worse but it could also hint at the PA’s resolve to finally deal with the growing problems in Jenin.

The Biden administration asked Israel to approve U.S. military assistance to Palestinian Authority security forces for a wide-ranging operation the PA is conducting in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian, U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.

Gaza Palestinian Authority security forces continued fighting militants in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Monday, amid a recent series of rare deadly raids that have sharply escalated tensions between the region’s residents and the PA.

Palestinians plead for unity and an end to clashes between Palestinian Authority forces and fighters in the Jenin refugee camp.