RAMALLAH, West Bank — Security unrest has been plaguing the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank since Aug. 18 as a result of a broad security crackdown launched by Palestinian security forces in the city and sporadic armed clashes between gunmen in the city’s old town, resulting in the death of five people.

The clashes broke out Aug. 18 when security forces entered the city’s old town to arrest armed individuals they called “outlaws,” accusing them of shooting at security forces. A spokesman for the security forces, Adnan al-Damiri, told Al-Monitor that the security forces were shot at and that two officers, Shibly Bani Shamsa from the special police unit and Mahmoud Taraira from the national security unit, were killed.

Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, who also serves as minister of interior, said Aug. 19, “The leadership and the government are determined to root out the outlaws from the city of Nablus, along with those who are violating civil peace in order to prevent security chaos from returning.”

The security institution sent large military reinforcements to Nablus’ old town following a decision by President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamdallah on Aug. 19. As a result, Khalid al-Aghbar and Ali Halawi — whom the security services said were “suspects in the death of the two security members” — were killed the next day.