Two Dead In Afula Terrorist Attack

Arutz 7 ^ | November 27, 2001 | staff

[Nachum]

The world's war against terrorism continues - as does the Palestinians' terrorism war against Israel. Two Palestinian terrorists opened random and wild fire while running from the Afula Central Bus Station to the nearby open-air market late this morning, killing two Jews and wounding over 30. Security forces gave chase, and a soldier - an immigrant from Ethiopia - finally shot and killed the terrorists. Police took off in pursuit of what they thought was a third terrorist, but called it off upon concluding that there had been only two.

Ten people are listed in serious condition in Afula's HaEmek Hospital. At least one of those currently being treated for shock was similarly hurt in a shooting in the Afula Bus Station on Oct. 4; three people lost their lives in that attack.

Islamic Jihad and Fatah took joint responsibility for the attack, in revenge for Israel's killing of Abu Honod last Friday. Abu Honod was responsible for the murder of over 20 Israelis in several terrorist atrocities. The Arabs who committed today's murders were residents of a Jenin-area village, but Police Chief Shlomo Aharonishki said that the IDF's withdrawal from Jenin last night (see next article) was not a factor in enabling the attack. After announcing yesterday that it had failed in an attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Hamas stated this morning that it would try again to hit either Sharon or another senior government official.

Some 20 kilometers to the west, police thwarted another serious attack when they caught two Arabs carrying a bag with a bomb and other explosive materials. Police safely detonated the bomb nearby, outside the Israeli-Arab city of Um el-Fahm, and arrested the two men.