IDF forces discovered terrorists with Molotov cocktails in the area of the Tunnel Road and opened fire on them. According to Palestinian reports, one of the terrorists was shot dead and the other was thwarted and arrested. This is the second incident in a day
Tonight (Thursday), IDF forces thwarted an attempted attack with Molotov cocktails in the area of the Tunnels Road near Jerusalem, near Beit Jala. The fighters saw the terrorists and opened fire on them. One of them was killed. In the recent past terrorists have thrown Molotov cocktails and endangered many drivers traveling on the main route on the way to Jerusalem. Troops spotted the terrorists during an ambush in the area.
This is the second incident in a day, last night a 20-year-old Border Police soldier was moderately injured in a car bomb attack near the Qalandiya checkpoint. The wounded soldier was taken to Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, fully conscious, with injuries to his head and abdomen. The soldiers arrested the terrorist, a 22-year-old resident of Qalqilya, and after a preliminary investigation by the Border Police, he was transferred to the GSS for questioning.
The incident took place when Border Police Soldiers and the Civil Administration evacuated illegal buildings near the checkpoint, in the area of the jury square. During the evacuation, a Palestinian vehicle accelerated towards the fighter and ran over him. Following the shooting, the terrorist hit the wall with his vehicle.
The commander of the Jerusalem district, Superintendent Doron Turgeman, held a situation assessment near the scene of the car bomb attack. He told the commanding Officers that the attack "is another reminder of the threats that exist in every operational activity and in every space cell in which we operate. Our operational vigilance and quick determined response is the key to neutralizing any threat immediately and preventing harm to human life."
"In this case as well," he continued, "the quick response and operational deployment of the fighters on the ground prevented injury to additional fighters and led to a speedy end to the incident and neutralization of the terrorist. We must continue to act resolutely against any attempt to harm Israeli forces.
Deputy Commander of the Border Police, Lt. Gen. Brick Yitzhak told the soldiers that they acted as expected of them. "As soon as you recognized that it was a car bomb attack, you responded in a professional and determined manner while striving for contact, which ultimately led to the vehicle being stopped and the terrorist being apprehended."