West Bank Shooting Kills 2 Israeli Soldiers as IDF Says Gunmen Sought Larger Route 35 Attack
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Oct 23
West Bank Shooting Kills 2 Israeli Soldiers as IDF Says Gunmen Sought Larger Route 35 Attack
3 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Oct 23
Summary
Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, were identified as the two Ari Battalion soldiers killed at Judea Junction; three other soldiers were lightly wounded.
Two gunmen in a car opened fire with an M4 machine gun and a pistol on four soldiers at the site, and IDF sources said they had intended to continue to heavily traveled Route 35 for a larger attack.
Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth said the soldiers had thwarted a grave attack on civilians despite the losses, calling the IDF Israel’s “protective shield.”
The military said it was launching a significant counterterrorism operation and imposing a cordon on the Hebron and Halhul areas after Israeli forces killed the two suspected attackers.