An Arab shot at a 59 Egged bus driving on Sderot Levi Eshkol in the Ammunition Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem, near Ramat Eshkol, on Wednesday evening, with what was initially believed to be live fire but turned out to be firing from an air-rifle at point-blank range, shattering the bus windows.

The driver was lightly wounded in the incident.

As the incident was first thought to be a terror attack, a huge number of police forces arrived at the scene and initiated a manhunt with the assistance of a helicopter from the Israel Police Air Unit.

Hatzalah paramedics treated the bus driver and evacuated him to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital for further treatment. The paramedics also treated a woman on the bus for shock.

Police say that the incident was likely a criminal one as passengers told the police that the Arab perpetrator was previously a passenger on the bus and got into a fight with the Arab bus driver shortly before the incident occurred

The 59 bus that was attacked is a line heavily populated by Chareidim as its route begins in Neve Yaakov, continues through Ammunition Hill to Ramat Eshkol, Geulah, the Shefa Mall area in Romema, Ezras Torah, Sorotskin, Mattesdorf, with its final stop at Binyanei Haumah.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)