Two killed, one seriously wounded in Arab terror attack

A Palestinian terrorist shot and killed two Israelis and seriously wounded a third at the Barkan Industrial Park in Samaria.  

By Aryeh Savir, World Israel News Staff

A Palestinian terrorist shot and killed two Israelis and seriously injured a third Sunday morning at the Barkan Industrial Park near the city of Ariel in Samaria.

Just before 8:00 AM, the 23-year-old Palestinian attacker entered the second-floor offices of the Alon metal works factory at the industrial park and fired at the three victims with an automatic weapon.

The shooter, reportedly a former worker at the industrial park, hails from the village of Sweika near the city of Tulkarem. He is still at large and believed to be armed with the Carl Gustav weapon he used in the attack.

Emergency and security forces quickly arrived at the site but were unable to save the lives of the two victims who were in critical condition. The third victim, a 54-year-old woman, was rushed to Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikvah in serious but stable condition with gunshot wounds to her upper body.

“This is a significant terror attack,” said IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis Sunday morning.

Home to some 160 factories employing 10,000 workers, 7,000 of whom are Palestinians, the Barkan Industrial Park has been relatively untouched by terrorism. “Until now there have not been any security incidents here. For decades, industrial zones have served as a bridge of coexistence,” Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan told IDF Radio.

The last attack at the area occurred in 2015 when a Palestinian terrorist stabbed and injured two security guards at the industrial park. Guards at the site shot and killed the terrorist during the incident.