The Shabak (General Security Service) and the IDF arrested six Arabs from a Shechem-based Hamas terror gang who have admitted killing two IDF soldiers near Migdalim nearly three years ago. The six also admitted carrying out a shooting attack on Israelis at Ariel Junction in October 2007, in which a soldier and civilian were injured.
The attack at Migdalim occurred on January 7th 2005. The terrorists, who were disguised as IDF soldiers, flagged down an Israeli car and then opened fire on its occupants, hitting all four of them. The four were IDF soldiers and graduates of the Migdalim IDF pre-military yeshiva were heading back to the school for a weekend Sabbath reunion of graduates. The driver, Staff Sgt. Yosef Atia, was pronounced dead shortly thereafter and an IDF officer, 2nd Lt. Ariel Boda, was severely wounded and died of his wounds several months later.
In the more recent attack, on October 24 2007, the terrorists opened fire on Israelis at a bus station at Ariel Junction, inflicting moderate-to-serious wounds on a soldier. They drove away and fired at passing cars, wounding one person lightly.
Staff Sgt. Yosef Atia Hy"d
2nd Lt. Ariel Boda Hy"d