5 Killed after Truck Rams into Israelis in Jerusalem

Israeli security forces and emergency personnel gather at the site of a vehicle-ramming attack in Jerusalem. Getty images.

Jerusalem, 10 Rabiul Akhir 1438/09 January 2017 (MINA) – At least five people, including four Israelis and an alleged Palestinian attacker were killed after a truck rammed into soldiers in Jerusalem on Sunday.

Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said four Israeli soldiers were killed by the alleged attacker in the city’s Armon Hanatziv neighborhood.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement a Palestinian was shot dead. Palestinian news agency Ma’an identified him as 28-year-old Jerusalem resident Fadi Ahmad Hamdan al-Qunbar.

The Israeli military said three cadets and an officer were killed while 17 others were injured. The Times of Israel website reported the soldiers were in the area as part of regular trips to historical and cultural sites organized by the army.

Speaking from the scene, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, comparing it to similar attacks using heavy vehicles in Germany and France.

“We know the identity of the attacker and according to all the signs the terrorist is a supporter of Daesh,” Netanyahu said.

He said the attack may be connected to other similar attacks. “The attack that occurred in Jerusalem and recent attacks is part of the same pattern inspired by Islamic State [Daesh], by ISIS, that we saw first in France, then in Germany and now in Jerusalem.

“We are fighting this plague, and will defeat it together,” he said. (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)