Shots were fired at around 8:30 pm local time from the Palestinian Authority Arab village of Ein Yabrud towards the direction of the Ofra junction, according to a report posted on the Hebrew-language ‘Hakol Hayehudi‘ news website.
Highway 60 was closed following the attack.
Two people reportedly sustained shrapnel wounds as a result of the gunfire, according to the report.
IDF soldiers from the Netzach Yehudi Brigade who were stationed near the junction returned fire at the estimated source of the shooting.
Shortly after, a Palestinian Authority Arab who drove his vehicle through the “Focus” security checkpoint near the Jewish community of Beit El, in the Mateh Binyamin region of Samaria was neutralized after ignoring orders to stop. A second individual in the vehicle was injured in what appeared to be a ramming attack.
Three passengers were unharmed, according to local sources.
“A short time ago, a vehicle broke through the Focus checkpoint in the catchment area of the Binyamin Regional Brigade,” said the IDF Spokesperson. “A soldier in the area responded by opening fire. The incident is under investigation.”
Last week, seven people were shot and wounded — including several who were seriously and critically injured — in a terrorist shooting at the Ofra junction. Among them was a young pregnant woman whose 30-week-old infant was delivered prematurely as a result of the attack, and who died just three days later.
A second attack carried out at the Givat Assaf junction left two IDF soldiers dead, seriously wounded a civilian and critically wounded a third soldier as well.
Both of the attacks two weeks ago were carried out by two brothers from the Barghouti family of Hebron, members of a prominent Hamas terrorist clan. One of the two was eliminated by Israeli military forces a few days later during an arrest operation; the second has not yet been found, but sources say he is unlikely to be captured alive.
Israel Ganz, head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, both responded to the shooting that took place Thursday night.
“The government that is in charge of our security must understand that terrorism is raising its head, and it must immediately order a genuine root canal to clear out terrorist infrastructures,” they said.
Both demanded the Israeli government “immediately return the roadblocks to the roads where we are an easy target for terrorists” as a first step.
They added that it would be a “logical, moral answer” to announce the establishment of a new settlement in memory of baby Amiad Yisrael, the infant born too soon, and murdered two weeks ago.