Jerusalem – Ariel Terrorist Killed By IDF Forces After Fire Exchange

Jerusalem – The IDF has killed the Palestinian terrorist who carried out the shooting spree near the West Bank city of Ariel on Sunday, killing two Israelis and severely injuring one.

Late Tuesday night, the IDF closed in on Omar Abu Lila, 19, in the Palestinian village of Abwain, near Ramallah.
Abu Lila shot the IDF during his attempted arrest. He was killed in an exchange of fire. No soldiers were reported to be injured during the incident.

The security operation was carried out by the Shin Bet, the IDF and the Yamam special unit. Special technology was used to locate and identify him.

The shootout in Abwain comes after an intense two day manhunt for the Palestinian terrorist, identified as Omar Abu Lila. On Sunday he shot at Israelis at both the Ariel Junction and the Gitai Avishar junction and fled the scene.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the security forces for their efforts in locating and finding the terrorist, “Israel long arm can reach anyone who tries to harm its citizens.”

Abu Lila, stole a vehicle and drove to the nearby Gitai Avishar junction on Sunday, where he started shooting.

One civilian, Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, 47 and father of 12, was severely injured when trying to stop Abu Lila and succumbed to his wounds on Monday.

Just before Ettinger was shot, he was able to recognize that he was in the middle of an attack, drew his gun and shot at the terrorist a number of times, his son-in-law Zeev Goldstein said.

Gal Keidan, 19, a soldier guarding the Ariel junction was killed at the scene and buried in his hometown of Beersheba on Monday morning.

Another soldier, identified as Alexander Dvorsky, a young immigrant from Moldova, was injured but is reported to be out of immediate mortal danger.