Seven Israeli soldiers were injured, some seriously, during an hours-long hunt for a Palestinian who opened fire at an Israeli vehicle in the West Bank early Friday morning.
According to the Israeli occupation army, the operation began in the early morning hours, with the Palestinian opening fire at a minibus near the settlement of Dolev, causing no injuries.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) began a pursuit after the gunman, during which they came under fire several times throughout the morning.
The IOF said it scrambled an attack helicopter and drones in its search for the Palestinian shooter.
Footage aired by Palestinian media showed an Israeli helicopter carrying out a strike in the area of the clashes. According to Hebrew-language media reports, the Palestinian shooter was killed by a missile fired from a helicopter.
لحظة إطلاق طائرات الاحتلال لصاروخ في موقع الاشتباك المسلح قرب بلدة دير ابزيع قضاء رام الله. pic.twitter.com/ArXdaqXTRX
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Palestinian media identified the shooter as Mujahid Barakat Mansour, 32, from the village of Deir Ibzi’, west of Ramallah.
Hebrew media said seven Israelis were hurt in the incident, including one in critical condition and two in serious condition.
Hebrew media described the shooting as “exceptional incident.”
“How could a Palestinian gunman shoot at a vehicle and an ambulance, flee to a nearby area, and for 5 hours go undetected by a combat helicopter, an armed drone, a special unit, and additional forces, while he himself injured number of them?”
“This incident should have ended the first second it began, with the gunman being eliminated by a single Israeli missile and zero casualties for our forces,” Hebrew media reported.
