Initial Report: Four Israelis have been wounded in a drive-by shooting on Road 60 in the Binyamin region, at the Assaf Junction (Tzomet Assaf / Givat Assaf) which is 2 kilometers south of Ofra and near Beit El. The attack happened on Thursday morning, around 11 AM.
According to the IDF, the terrorist got out of his car, and sprayed the bus stop with bullets where soldiers and civilians had been standing.
IDF forces are searching for the attackers. Their abandoned vehicle has been found.
Update #1 According to MDA, two of the wounded are in critical condition, two more are seriously wounded, one of them is a woman.
Update #2 11:55 AM: Channel 2 and 0404 now report that two of the wounded have died. The other two are in serious to critical condition.
Update #3 12:16 AM: The terrorists’ abandoned car has been found between BEit El and Psagot. Footprints show the terrorists headed on foot towards Ramallah. A gun and bullet shells have been found in and around the car. The car had Israeli license plates.
Update #4 1:04 PM: The civilian woman, Shira bat Michal Sabag, is being treated by doctors at Sharei Tzedek, and she is in serious condition.
On Sunday, terrorists opened fire on a group of civilians waiting at a bus stop near Ofra, wounding seven people. A pregnant woman was hit, and her baby subsequently died.
On Wednesday night, Israeli security forces killed and captured members of the terror cell involved in the attack.
Israel Ganz, head of the Benjamin Regional Council, said Thursday’s incident was very serious.
“We are under a second attack within a week, a very serious attack, and we will not be able to continue this way. Our main road is the source of a real threat,” he said.
Hamas said in response to the attack: “The enemy cannot dream of security and stability in the West Bank. The burning fire in the West Bank will burn the occupier who will be beaten from unexpected directions.”
Since September, when Ari Fuld Hy”d was murdered in a terrorist attack at the Gush Etzion junction, more than ten terrorist attacks or attempted attacks were carried out in Judea and Samaria.
