West Bank security guard injured in ramming attack, terrorist killed

Published: DECEMBER 6, 2021 05:15

Updated: DECEMBER 6, 2021 09:42

A security guard at the Tanim crossing in the West Bank was moderately injured by a vehicle coming from the Palestinian side of the crossing in a suspected attack on Monday.

The guard, a 34-year-old male, was standing at the crossing when the driver accelerated and hit him.

MDA medics and paramedics found the guard lying on the ground. He was brought to Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer with injuries to his limbs, chest and head in stable condition.

חשד לפיגוע דריסה בשומרון: רכב שהגיע מהצד הפלסטיני של מעבר תאנים האיץ ופגע באבטח שעמד במקום. המאבטח נפצע בינוני עד קשה. כוחות הביטחון במקום ירו לעבר המחבל שנהג ברכב וניטרלו אותו. המעבר נסגר לתנועה pic.twitter.com/SmwLbzugNG

MDA paramedic Alik Iskimov told Ynet: “We arrived to find a man in his 30s from the security forces who had apparently been run over by a terrorist. We found him sprawled on the ground with extensive bruises all over his body. We treated him with bandages and evacuated him to Tel HaShomer Hospital.”

Security forces at the scene shot the suspect who was driving the vehicle, who was 16-year-old. He was brought to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba where he died shortly after.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz praised the security guards for quickly responding to the attack on Monday and wished a speedy recovery to the injured guard. Gantz ordered a full investigation into the incident and raised the level of alert at all crossings in the West Bank.

This attack comes less than two days after 20-year-old ultra-Orthodox Avraham Elmaleh was stabbed by a Palestinian at the Nablus Gate in Jerusalem on Saturday afternoon.

In light of the uptick in violence in recent weeks, former IDF chief of staff Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon told 103FM on Monday that “we are in the midst of a new wave of individual terrorism.”

“We see similarities between what has been happening in the last two months and the ‘individuals’ intifada.’ There are things in the atmosphere and on the web,” said Ya’alon. “The 16-year-old who conducted the ramming attack this morning was ‘fueled’ on the web with incitement and made a decision.”