A truck barreled into a group of soldiers and civilians as they exited a bus in Jerusalem on Sunday, killing four and injuring fifteen in what Israeli police are treating as “terroism.” The attacker was shot and killed by soldiers and civilians in the area but not before sending several to the hospital with critical injuries, with the dead including three women and one man according to The New York Times.
The Times reports that there is no confirmation that those run over were soldiers, but eyewitnesses on the scene noted that soldiers were with the group on the bus when the truck attack began:
Haim Neuman, a tour guide who was accompanying the group of soldiers at the scene, told Israel Radio, “The soldiers got off the bus, and we were getting organized when suddenly the truck came with great speed and rammed into the group. Civilians and soldiers began shooting and this prevented a worse tragedy,” he added. “He rammed them a number of times, going into reverse and forward in order to hurt more people.”
“When we arrived there was chaos on the scene,” said Chen Lendi Sharon, a paramedic from the Magen David Adom ambulance service. “I saw a truck that rammed youngsters getting off the bus next to the Armon Hanatziv observation point.”
The Washington Post points out that “40 Israelis and two visiting Americans” have been killed by Palestinian attacks since 2015, with 229 Palestinians being killed by Israel. The higher number of Palestinian deaths is attributed to most being attackers while “the rest died in clashes” according to Israeli officials. Sunday’s truck attack marked the first Israeli casualties in three months, the latest in a “wave” of violence including other vehicle attacks, stabbings, and shootings according to The Post.
UPDATE: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement confirming that the victims in the attack were IDF soldiers and now know the identity of the attacker, connecting him the Islamic State.
PM @netanyahu says of terrorist who killed 4 Israeli troops: "All signs show he is a supporter of the Islamic State" pic.twitter.com/IfUliL5OAG
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 8, 2017
(Via The New York Times / Washington Post)