Alert members of the Nachal Hareidi unit, comprised of hareidi soldiers, prevented a suicide bomber from killing Israelis on Saturday afternoon.
An IDF sentry at the Beka'ot checkpoint, north of the community of Hamra in the Jordan Valley, spotted an Arab dressed in unseasonable winter clothes approaching his position. The sentry radioed to the soldiers manning the checkpoint, who ordered the suspect, in Hebrew and in Arabic, to halt. When he didn't, the checkpoint commander discharged his weapon in the air, as per protocol. At that moment, the 19-year-old Arab man detonated the explosives he wore or carried, killing himself and injuring the commander, as well as three Arab civilians in proximity.
The lightly injured soldier was transported to HaEmek Hospital in Afula. A moderately injured Palestinian Authority resident was transported by helicopter to the trauma unit of Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. The others injured, all lightly, were transported to a PA hospital by Red Crescent ambulances.
The IDF Jordan Valley Commander, Col. Ronni Belkin, said that the checkpoint commander prevented a serious attack. "In my estimation," Col. Belkin said, "the terrorist's intention was to make it to the soldiers at the checkpoint and blow up amongst them. The alertness and readiness of the IDF soldiers prevented an attack with very painful consequences."
The Ali Mustafa Brigade of the PFLP terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack.
An IDF sentry at the Beka'ot checkpoint, north of the community of Hamra in the Jordan Valley, spotted an Arab dressed in unseasonable winter clothes approaching his position. The sentry radioed to the soldiers manning the checkpoint, who ordered the suspect, in Hebrew and in Arabic, to halt. When he didn't, the checkpoint commander discharged his weapon in the air, as per protocol. At that moment, the 19-year-old Arab man detonated the explosives he wore or carried, killing himself and injuring the commander, as well as three Arab civilians in proximity.
The lightly injured soldier was transported to HaEmek Hospital in Afula. A moderately injured Palestinian Authority resident was transported by helicopter to the trauma unit of Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. The others injured, all lightly, were transported to a PA hospital by Red Crescent ambulances.
The IDF Jordan Valley Commander, Col. Ronni Belkin, said that the checkpoint commander prevented a serious attack. "In my estimation," Col. Belkin said, "the terrorist's intention was to make it to the soldiers at the checkpoint and blow up amongst them. The alertness and readiness of the IDF soldiers prevented an attack with very painful consequences."
The Ali Mustafa Brigade of the PFLP terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack.