MOSCOW, January 21 (Sputnik) – A knife-wielding Palestinian stabbed nine passengers on a bus in Tel Aviv during the morning rush hour, said Superintendent Micky Rosenfeld, the foreign press spokesman for the Israel Police.
The attacker identified as a 23-year old Palestinian was later arrested. He was also shot and lightly wounded in the leg.
Terrorist is Palestinian 23 year old from Tulkarem. Heighten security and police units in tel aviv area. Suspect being questioned by police.
— Micky Rosenfeld (@MickyRosenfeld) 21 января 2015
5 people injured moderate/seriously and further 4 injured lightly. Police security patrolling tel aviv area to prevent any further attack.
— Micky Rosenfeld (@MickyRosenfeld) 21 января 2015
The assault took place on Bus number 40 on Menachem Begin Road during the morning rush hour, according to the Haaretz newspaper.
BREAKING PHOTO: Dozens of police at scene of stabbing attack on bus in Tel-Aviv moments ago. Suspect shot in leg. pic.twitter.com/eOSDQjcri6
— Israel Breaking (@IsraelBreaking) 21 января 2015
The incident is treated as a terrorist attack, Micky Rosenfeld tweeted.
The wounded have been taken to Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital and Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, Haaretz said. Four of them are reportedly seriously injured, according to the Times of Israel.
"I saw a woman of about 60-years-old lying in pain on the ground, suffering from stab wounds to the chest and back — she had been on the bus," recalled Yiftah Levy, an emergency responder, as quoted by Haaretz. "When she noticed she was injured, she ran about a kilometer before collapsing on Yitzhak Sadeh Street, where we gave her medical treatment. She was evacuated to Tel Hashomer in moderate-but-stable condition."
Hamas praised the attack calling it "heroic and daring", the Times of Israel reported, citing Izzat al-Rishq, a Hamas official. The assault is "a natural response to the occupation and terrorist crimes against our people," Izzat al-Rishq added.
In a similar incident in November last year, a Palestinian man stabbed an Israeli soldier to death near a train station in southern Tel Aviv.
