Three Police Injured in Jerusalem Car Attack
JERUSALEM, Israel -- In the latest vehicular terror attack in Jerusalem, an Arab resident from the A-Tur neighborhood near the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University tried to run over Border Police officers on a routine patrol.
Two male and one female officer sustained injuries to their legs and hips. All three were transported to a hospital and the two men released later the same day.
From her hospital bed, the female officer said shes hoping for a quick and complete recovery and looking forward to getting back to her unit.
A fourth Border Police officer at the scene shot the driver as he attempted to back his car over the injured officers. Paramedics treated him at the scene, but were unable to save him.
I understood very quickly that this was an attack and that there wasn't a moment to lose, YNet quoted the officer, who said theyre trained to recognize and be ready to respond to these attacks.
I saw the terrorist's car coming at some speed with the intention to hit the police. I acted quickly in order to prevent another attack on innocent people, he said.
Police later identified the driver as Amran Abu Dhaim, a relative of Alaa Abu Dhaim, who gunned down eight yeshiva (seminary) students in the study hall at Jerusalem's Mercaz Harav yeshiva in 2008. Police also found ties to the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
Since last October, Arab terrorists have added vehicular attacks to their repertoire. Before that, there were several attacks by bulldozer drivers in Jerusalem, which killed and injured numbers of Israelis. The latest trend is to ram into pedestrians with cars. If the driver is killed, hes achieved shahid (martyr) status for his efforts.
Israel Border Police Deputy Commissioner Amos Yaakov visited the officers at the hospital and praised their vigilance, professionalism and determination.
Their quick response, he said, prevented the terrorist from accomplishing his goal.
YNet quoted his brother, Shafik, claiming It must have been an accident.
He wanted to go for a drive and the police shot him, he said, adding that his brother worked as a security driver for Israeli transport companies.
He never talking about an attack and he didn't have any such intentions, his brother reportedly said.
