An Arab terrorist who tried to stab a female soldier at the Giti Avishar junction on Highway 5 in Samaria Tuesday morning died of his wounds.
The terrorist arrived at the junction and tried to attack two soldiers from the Mixed Battalion of the Home Front Command who were securing the area. The terrorist focused on a female soldier at the scene and attacked her at zero range with a knife, attempting to stab her three times. She pushed him with the butt of her rifle while the force commander, who found a safe angle, opened fire on the terrorist and killed him.
The two soldiers came out unscathed.
The commander of the Ephraim Brigade, Col. Yiftach Nurkin, arrived at the scene and interrogated the force that neutralized the terrorist. The female soldier received praise for her performance by senior officers in the Judea and Samaria Division.
Yinon Giat, who witnessed the attempted attack, told 0404: “I was standing at a traffic light and heard a shot, and after a few steps, the terrorist fell down. I hope he is not with us anymore.”
The head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, commented on the attempted attack, saying: “I supported the soldiers on the spot. I call on the government to learn from these soldiers what heroism is and how to fight with clarity. Terrorism will not defeat us.”
MK Ayub Kara (Likud) also issued a statement, saying: “I congratulate the IDF soldiers who responded quickly and neutralized the terrorist who tried to stab soldiers. It is important to react quickly and eliminate any attacker before they can harm fighters or civilians. Our motto should be: Terrorists get killed, period.”
United Hatzalah volunteers were dispatched to the intersection following reports of a stabbing attack. United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Chaim Kreif who was one of the first responders at the scene reported: “Miraculously, there were no injuries other than the attacker and the incident is being dealt with by security forces.”