Israeli military forces have eliminated at least one of the terrorists who opened fire and killed three Israeli police officers on Sunday morning in an ambush at the Tarkumiya-Idna Junction northwest of Hebron and Kiryat Arba.
IDF and Shin Bet forces encircled the residence in Hebron where the terrorist suspected of carrying out the shooting attack had barricaded himself within, and a shootout ensued. Ultimately a shoulder-fired missile launched by IDF soldiers ended the clash and the terrorist’s career.
“At least one terrorist was eliminated at the scene. The investigation into the terror attack continues,” the IDF said in a brief statement.
According to a statement by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorist organization, “Our brave fighters are engaged in fierce clashes with the Zionist enemy forces storming the Mahawer area in the center of Al-Khalil (Hebron in Arabic), using machine guns.”
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is the terrorist organization of the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction. Both the faction and the Ramallah government are headed by Mahmoud Abbas, whose nom de guerre is Abu Mazen and is in his late eighties.
The terrorist who carried out the murderous ambush was identified in Arab media as Muhannad Al-Asoud of Idna, near Hebron and was eliminated by IDF Duvdevan forces who finally bombed the building in which he was hiding. His body was then confiscated by the IDF, Arab media claimed.
According to the report, “Muhannad was an officer in the Palestinian Authority Presidential Guard until his resignation in 2015, having received Western military training previously.”
The building in which the killer was hiding was located near Palestinian Authority Security Headquarters, where he headed after the attack to request their protection.
“The PA Forces refused to protect him, resulting in anger among Palestinians and raising questions about the PA’s role,” the report claimed.
If the report is true, it supports recent claims that the Palestinian Authority may be softening its hostility against Israel due to the need to regain control over the territory, which is rapidly morphing into another Iranian-backed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist enclave similar to that which took place in Gaza.
Halevi: Intensify Counterterrorism, Defense on Roads, Towns
IDF Chief of General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi completed a situational assessment and initial inquiry at the scene of the terror attack at the Tarkumiya-Idna Junction along with the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, the Commanding Officer of the Judea and Samaria Division and the Commanding Officer of the Judea Brigade.
Halevi emphasized the importance of continuing to intensify counterterrorism efforts as well as ongoing defensive efforts on the roads and in the communities in the area.
The Victims
The three victims of the Sunday morning ambush include: Police Superintendent Arik Ben Eliyahu, 37, from Kiryat Gat, who leaves behind a wife and three children, parents, and two sisters;
Chief Superintendent Hadas Berentz, 53, from Sde Moshe, who leaves behind a husband and three children, parents, and five siblings; and
Sergeant Major Roni Shakuri, 61, from Sderot. Shakuri was the father of Chief Sergeant Mor Shakuri, who fell in the battle for the Sderot police station on October 7, 2023. He leaves behind a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter, and three brothers.
“The Israel Police will stand by the bereaved families and support them forever,” a spokesperson said.
Defense Minister: ‘I Salute Them’
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant likewise released a statement pledging to “pursue and eliminate our enemies.
It is with great sorrow that I received the tragic news regarding the policemen who were killed during a terror attack in Tarqumiyah. They fell while performing their duties in service of Israel.
Roni Shakuri, Hadas Branch and Arik Ben Eliyahu dedicated their lives to defending…
— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) September 1, 2024
Gallant wrote in a post on X, ““It is with great sorrow that I received the tragic news regarding the policemen who were killed during a terror attack in Tarqumiyah. They fell while performing their duties in service of Israel.
“Roni Shakuri, Hadas Branch and Arik Ben Eliyahu dedicated their lives to defending their homeland and their nation. They chose to fulfill a meaningful service till their last breaths. I salute them.
“May their memories be a blessing. We will pursue and eliminate our enemies.”
