Twelve Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in a ramming attack in Jerusalem in the early hours of Thursday morning, the military has confirmed.
According to available details, the incident took place shortly before 2 a.m. on Jerusalem's David Remez Street near the First Station, a popular local entertainment hub. The Jerusalem District Police said the soldiers were walking down the street when the driver apparently came up behind them, sped up and plowed into the group.
He then fled the scene. Military and police forces have launched a manhunt for the terrorist, whose car was found abandoned near the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
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IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman said the troops are members of the elite Golani Brigade, who were on a traditional "heritage tour" ahead of their early morning swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall.
According to Zilberman, an initial investigation into the attack found that the soldiers were standing on the sidewalk next to the station when the car rammed them suddenly at high-speed.
Israel Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack.
Magen David Adom medics said one of the wounded "was in a serious condition, unconscious and suffering major trauma."
A second soldier was moderately injured and the rest sustained mild injuries. All were taken to hospitals in the capital.
"When we arrived at the scene we saw chaos, three youths were lying on the sidewalk, and nearby nine others were gathered who had been hurt," said MDA paramedic Oz Faulk.
