Multiple fatalities and injuries sustained following a shooting incident involving an automatic firearm in Jerusalem
On Monday, September 8, a scene of panic unfolded near a bus station in a predominantly ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem. The day began with gunshots heard shortly after 10 a.m., marking the beginning of a distressing incident that would leave seven people dead and several injured.
Several villages in the West Bank were encircled by the Israeli army on the evening of the same day, as the security forces worked to contain the situation. The incident took place in Jerusalem, with two attackers, Palestinian men in their twenties, launching an attack on the bus station. According to reports, these men were unknown to the intelligence services.
The attackers were armed with an automatic weapon, a handgun, and knives. Witness Malka Cohen stated that they were shot at when they got off a bus. In the chaos that ensued, everyone tried to flee due to heavy fire and bullets flying overhead. Two of the attackers were shot dead on the scene, while the arrested persons are believed to be the two suspected Palestinian attackers who were killed at the scene by security forces. There are no reports of further arrests linked to the incident.
The incident left six people dead initially, including two rabbis. With the death of a woman who was severely injured on the scene and another man who was attended to by Michael Cassar, a volunteer paramedic, the death toll has risen to seven. The exact number of people injured during the incident is yet to be confirmed, but several people were hit on the ground and required immediate medical attention.
Emergency services arrived at the scene quickly to attend to the wounded, with Michael Cassar having to attend to a man and a woman who were severely injured. A taxi driver showed great courage by helping his passenger out of the vehicle despite the danger.
In the aftermath of the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu visited the scene and declared that Israel is at war. Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, praised the attack. However, the Israeli authorities are still searching for any accomplices involved in the incident. The encirclement of several villages in the West Bank is part of their efforts to prevent any further attacks.
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