On November 5, 2009, the Shomron Military Court sentenced Ri’ad Arafat to two life sentences plus 30 years for the terror attack between Tapuach and Migdalim [in Shomron] on July 7, 2005. Two IDF soldiers were murdered and three injured in the attack. A number of civilians were also wounded.

Ri’ad contacted his cousins, informing them he wishes to play a role in the attack, and he purchased a vehicle to use in the attack. He was to be the look-out while the cousins were going to do the shooting.

They set out on that day to carry out the attack, and Arafat dropped off the shooters and took up position, responsible to notify the others when an Israeli vehicle was approaching.

The terrorists, who were dressed in IDF uniforms, positioned themselves, setting up a fictitious checkpoint, signaling the Israeli vehicle to stop, permitting them to fire at the occupants at point-blank range with their M-16 assault rifles. Over 30 bullets struck the vehicle.

Five graduates of the Migdalim IDF Prepatory School were in the vehicle on their way to a shabbos in the yeshiva. Sgt. Yosef Atiya, who was driving, was gravely wounded and died of his massive injuries in hospital. Two others were moderately wounded, transported to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah. A number of civilians, who were in other vehicles targeted by the terrorists, were also injured, fortunately not seriously.

On October 15, 2009, 2nd-Lt. Ariel Buda died of his injuries in Sheba Medical Center. 

The terror cell also carried out other attacks, including a shooting at Ariel Junction on October 24, 2007, in which a number of people were wounded.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)