Two drive-by shooting attacks that took place in Samaria this week were most likely orchestrated by the same terrorist cell, GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan hinted Thursday.
"In recent days, a Hamas terrorist cell has been able to exact a heavy price from us," he told reporters after a security briefing with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot. "Here, too, we will not rest until justice is served."
Two Israeli soldiers, Kfir Infantry Brigade Sgt. Yosef Cohen, 19, and Staff. Sgt. Yovel Mor Yosef, 20, were gunned down Thursday near the Givat Asaf outpost in the Binyamin region. A third soldier was critically injured in the attack and a civilian, Shira Sabag, 20, sustained serious injuries.
According to available details, the terrorists drove up to a bus stop at the Givat Asaf junction at around 11:20 a.m. Their car slowed to a crawl, then one of the passengers stepped out and opened fire on the soldiers and civilians waiting there at close range. He then jumped back into the car, which sped away in the direction of Ramallah.
A subsequent sweep of the scene discovered that the weapon carried by one of the soldiers was missing, and the IDF believes it was stolen by the terrorist who shot the group.
The vehicle used in the attack was found abandoned near Ramallah about an hour after the shooting.
This attack occurred four days after terrorists fired into a crowd at a hitchhiking post outside the settlement of Ofra, not far from the Givat Asaf attack. Seven people were wounded in the attack, including pregnant Shira Ish-Ran, whose baby was delivered in an emergency cesarean section following the attack. The baby died three days later.
Given the uptick in violence in Judea and Samaria and bracing for what is feared to be a wave of copycat attacks, the military has bolstered its deployment on the ground.
As part of the manhunt for the terrorists who perpetrated Thursday's attack, Israeli troops are currently surrounding Ramallah and several adjacent villages, where the terrorists may be hiding.
Late Wednesday night, security forces killed one terrorist and apprehended four others for their involvement in the Ofra shooting.
