Manhunt underway after deadly W. Bank shooting; Palestinian killed in Qalqilya clash
Israeli security forces continued their hunt Saturday morning for the two Palestinian gunmen who shot dead an Israeli security guard at a West Bank settlement.
Friday night’s shooting at the entrance to Ariel claimed the life of a guard in his twenties. The two shooters, whose act was captured by security cameras, fled the scene.
Early Saturday Palestinian media reports claimed that a burnt vehicle had been found in the area, and that it could be the car used by the terrorists.
Also overnight, Palestinians reported that a man was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank village of Azzun, near Qalqilya. Media reports indicated he was killed during clashes in the area. Further details were not immediately available.
Security camera footage from the scene of the attack at Ariel showed a blue Suzuki vehicle driving up to a guard post, where a person in the passenger seat opened fire. The gunman and the driver then both got out and continued to fire into the guard post before driving off.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said its medics declared the man dead at the scene.
Police and medics are seen at the entrance of Ariel after a shooting, on April 29, 2022. (Magen David Adom)
A second security guard who was nearby was unharmed. The shooters apparently used improvised Carlo submachine guns.
Ariel and other settlements of the area issued a lockdown order over fears the gunmen may attack again.
Security forces blocked off roads as large numbers of police officers and soldiers launched a massive manhunt for the gunmen. The Israel Defense Forces said special forces were participating in the search.
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 of the occupation and its settlers.” Hamas did not claim its members perpetrated the attack.
The attack comes as tensions have risen sharply between Israel and the Palestinians in recent weeks against the backdrop of repeated terror attacks in Israeli cities that left 14 dead.
The escalation has come amid the Muslim holy month of Ramadan — often a period of high tension in Israel and the West Bank.
The army has stepped up its West Bank activities in an attempt to crack down on the spiraling violence. The ensuing raids sparked clashes that left at least 25 Palestinians dead, many of whom took part in the clashes, while others appeared to have been uninvolved civilians.
Emmanuel Fabian contributed to this report.