Terrorist in PA police uniform: Amjad Abu-Omar
Terrorist in PA police uniform: Amjad Abu-OmarFacebook

The terrorist who injured three people in a shooting attack between Bet El and Ramallah in Samaria this morning has been identified as a Palestinian Authority police officer.

Amjad Abu-Omar, 34, also served in the past as a personal bodyguard for the PA's Attorney General. He was a resident of Kfar Jama'in, near Shechem in Samaria, several miles north of the site of his attack.

It has also been revealed that Abu-Omar posted several messages inciting terrorism on his Facebook page, including a post not long before this morning's attack in which he appeared to hint at his murderous intentions.

In a status posted this morning, he wrote: "On this earth there are things worth living for. But regrettably I don't see anything worth living for as long as the occupation chokes our souls and kills our brothers and sisters. God have mercy on our martyrs and heal the injured."

Hours before the attack, he also wrote: "Good morning, I will become a shahid (martyr) and join Allah and his messenger Mohammed. This is a morning of victory!"

Some Palestinian media outlets have suggested that Abu-Omar was at least partially motivated to carry out what was essentially a suicide attack after falling heavily in debt.

It represents the latest case in which members of the PA security forces have acted - apparently of their own accord - to carry out or aid attacks against Israelis.

Last week, Israeli security forces revealed that an officer in the PA intelligence agency had helped two terrorists carry out a shooting against IDF forces.

In December, another PA intelligence officer carried out a shooting attack just a few miles south of the site of Sunday's shooting. Mazen Hassan Orebeih shot and wounded two Israelis near the Hizme checkpoint to Jerusalem, before being shot dead himself.