8:23PM IL: [UPDATES BELOW] According to a preliminary report, two people are in critical condition near Moshav Masua in the Jordan Valley, apparently the result of a shooting incident. Additional information to follow.

8:28PM IL: An IAF chopper has been dispatched to the scene of the shooting incident in the Jordan Valley district. Some first responders operating on the scene are reporting one dead and one victim in critical condition. The background to the reported “shooting incident” remains vague at this time.

8:31PM IL: It is being reported that gunfire was directed at a vehicle. It is not yet determined if the gunfire was from a stationary position or from a passing vehicle. All signs point to a terrorist shooting attack but authorities have not made a final determination. CPR is being performed on the scene. More to follow.

8:35PM IL: It is now being reported that two policemen were murdered in a shooting attack near Moshav Masua in the Jordan Valley area earlier Sunday night. Gunfire was directed at the victims’ vehicle. It is unclear if the gunfire came from a stationary point or a passing vehicle. Many emergency responders are operating at the scene. While the shooting appears to have been a terrorist attack, officials have not made a determination as of this time.

UPDATE 8:48PM IL: It is now being confirmed that two Israelis were murdered in a Sunday night shooting attack. The two were found in critical condition in an overturned vehicle, both critically wounded from gunfire. CPR was performed on the scene but there was little to be done for them. The two were pronounced dead on the scene.
 
Reliable but yet unconfirmed reports indicate the victims are policemen. It appears an Israeli found the two wounded in the overturned vehicle, summoning assistance. Authorities report a female telephoned emergency dispatchers to report the incident, which prompted a widespread response including a military chopper for transport.
 
It is important to point out that the fatal attack occurred a number of hours after the IDF removed checkpoints from the Shechem area, a move that could have provide free passage for the terrorists either heading to the area or fleeing the scene of the attack.
 
The Jordan Valley Road is closed as a manhunt is underway for the attackers. Masua is located in the northern Jordan Valley area.
 
As is the case with real-time reporting, details surrounding the fatal incident may change as investigators continue operating on the scene. The shooting is estimated to have taken place at about 8:10PM according to preliminary information at the site.

UPDATE 8:58PM EST: YWN is receiving word that the two victims are traffic police officers.

Angry Response to Shooting Attack

It appears that the terrorist(s) passed the victims’ vehicle and opened fire in the northern Jordan Valley, near Moshav Masua. The area of the attack is a secluded poorly-lit area, and it appears the victims were wounded for 15 minutes or longer until they were discovered in the overturned vehicle.
 
Leaders of the Jewish communities in Yehuda and Shomron state the attack is particularly painful, coming hours after two checkpoints were removed by the IDF as part of Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s insistence to relax security restrictions on PA (Palestinian Authority) residents.
 
The Jordan Valley road is closed at this time while a manhunt is underway. Sunday’s removal of the checkpoints permitted the terrorists a clean getaway to one of the autonomous areas in the Shechem area, not a difficult drive from the Jordan Valley road.
 
The army is operating on the scene, with the area of the attack, which is illuminated with flares as soldiers are operating on and around the scene. Additional information cannot be published at present as the families of the victims have not yet received official notification of the deaths of their loved ones.  

IMPORTANT NOTE: YWN offers three different options (all free, of course) for keeping in touch with the news as it happens. Should you wish to receive breaking updates via SMS text message (in the USA), or two different email alert options, please click HERE to sign up – and join the already tens of thousands of subscribers.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)