An Israeli security guard was shot dead in a terrorist attack near the entrance to the West Bank settlement of Ariel on Friday night, officials said.
Security camera footage from the crime scene showed a blue Suzuki vehicle approaching a guard post, where a person in the passenger seat opened fire. The gunman and driver then both got out and continued firing at the sentry before driving off.
Magen David Adom emergency services said its paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene.
“When we arrived at the scene, we saw a man in his 20s unconscious with gunshot wounds, not breathing and no pulse,” said MDA medic Tomer Fine.
Ariel and other settlements in the area issued a lockdown order, fearing the gunmen might attack again.
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Large security forces began blocking roads while police and military launched a massive manhunt for the gunmen. Local security officials said they didn’t know where the vehicle was going after the attack.
תמונת רכב המחבלים המופצת במצוד. סוזוקי כחולה. שני מחבלים. כנראה חמושים ברובה קרלו. לוחית זיהוי צהובה. pic.twitter.com/FjxMcgqaZ5
— Or Heller אור הלר (@OrHeller) April 29, 2022
The Hamas terror group praised the shooting, saying it was a “heroic operation” and a “natural response to the crimes committed by the occupation and its settlers.” Hamas did not claim that its members carried out the attack.
The attack comes as tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have risen sharply in recent weeks amid repeated terrorist attacks in Israeli cities that have killed 14 people.
The escalation came amid the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – often a time of high tension in Israel and the West Bank.
The army has stepped up its activities in the West Bank to stem the spiral of violence. Subsequent raids sparked clashes that left at least 25 Palestinians dead, many of whom took part in the clashes while others appeared to be uninvolved civilians.
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