One man in his 30s was killed, another was moderately injured and 3 others were lightly injured in a shooting attack on Highway 4 near Ashdod. The attack took place near the Yavneh interchange. The victim has been identified as a police officer.
The shooter has been neutralized but a large police force is still searching the area, including using a helicopter, over concern that another terrorist is at large.
Footage shows terrorist on side of road
Rescue forces arrived at the scene and evacuated the injured to Assuta Hospital in Ashdod. The critically injured man was given CPR on the way to and at the hospital but doctors later declared him dead. A man, 42, was moderately injured by glass shards after the window of his car was shot out.
A doctor who stopped to help the injured was hit by a car and was slightly injured.
The terrorist opened fire at vehicles on Highway 4 in the south, near the Yavne South interchange. The civilian who was moderately injured escaped from the shooting attack, and continued driving to the Nir Galim intersection where he sought help. The terrorist continued to drive wildly north on Highway 4, while shooting from his vehicle at other vehicles, and passed through the Yavne interchange while continuing to shoot. Continuing his journey north, the terrorist encountered a checkpoint of the traffic police, where he was neutralized by the officers. Highway 4 is currently closed in both directions.
Ben Gvir: "Thanks to his personal weapon, the citizen prevented a greater disaster"
After the attack, the spokesperson of the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir said that "the citizen who killed the terrorist at the Yavne interchange received his personal weapon about three months ago, as part of the reform led by the Minister of National Security Ben Gvir. Thanks to his personal weapon, he prevented a greater disaster."
MDA emergency medic Asher Biton, who arrived at the scene of the attack, told Ynet: "I rushed to the scene of the attack. It was a scene with a lot of noise around on a main, busy road and it was full of stress and panic. A terrorist shot at vehicles driving on the road. I treated one wounded person with a gunshot wound to the upper body and unfortunately, we learned at the hospital that he was pronounced dead."
Yavne Mayor Roei Gabay said at the scene of the attack: "The entrances to the city are closed. We are currently receiving the full picture of the situation from the police, of course. At the moment, the residents must stay where they are, there are no special instructions, but certainly not to go to gatherings or go outside. We need to evacuate our central roads so that security forces will be able to conduct searches and travel quickly from place to place."
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