An Israeli couple suffered only light wounds, and their four children were unhurt, in a terrorist shooting attack near Ariel last night. The terrorists fired at the family car carrying the six of them as they drove to their home in Peduel. The father was lightly hurt in his leg, and the mother was hit by shrapnel; they were transported by ambulance to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah. Large forces arrived in the area to search for the would-be murderers, but their efforts were fruitless.
A similar terror attack two years ago claimed the life of Rabbi Elimelech Shapira of Peduel, and largely shattered the leg of another man, who walks with a crutch and is still in constant pain.
Peduel spokesperson Nili Movshovitz said that a deterioration in security along the route has been registered of late. "Several incidents ended miraculously with no injuries," she said, "but the general feeling is not good." Just last week, after a resident of Mevo Dotan - further to the north in the Shomron - was murdered in a terrorist shooting, residents said that security on their access road has been getting worse.
Army forces arrested seven Palestinian terrorists yesterday last night, in several Gaza and Samaria locations.