A terrorist opened fire on an Israeli bus near the West Bank settlement of Ariel on Friday, injuring 8 people before being shot dead by security forces,

According to the Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service, four of the victims sustained gunshot injuries, with three in serious condition and one moderately injured. Another four individuals were lightly wounded by shattered glass.

Images from the scene show the terrorist armed with an assault rifle, identified as an M-16, used in the attack.

The incident began when the terrorist drove from a village in the Nablus area, traveling from the Tapuach Junction to the Gitai Avisar Junction along a route with no internal checkpoints, according to an initial investigation by the IDF. The attacker stopped his car roughly 150 meters from a bus stop, exited the vehicle, and began firing at the bus while advancing on foot. IDF troops stationed nearby quickly returned fire, killing the gunman.

Following a search of the area, the IDF confirmed there was no second terrorist involved.

However, the IDF believes the terrorist may not have acted entirely alone. Investigators suspect others provided support, including the M-16 rifle and the vehicle used in the attack.

Hamas took responsibility for the attack, identifying the terrorist as Samir Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, 46, a member of the terror group’s Al-Qassam Brigades from the village of Einabus near Nablus.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)