In the latest case of “vehicular jihad,” on Friday, a Palestinian terrorist rammed his car into a cyclist and at least six other Israeli Border Patrol officers. Witnesses on scene said the jihadist was driving along a road in Jerusalem when he intentionally turned onto the side of the road in an attempt to kill his Jewish victims. After crashing the car, the man exited his vehicle wielding a knife, according to reports.
A police spokesman said that the victims were taken to a local hospital with light to moderate injuries, and that they are treating the vehicular jihad incident as a terrorist attack.
The driver of the car attempted to escape the scene after he was shot by a security officer, and was brought into custody in critical condition, officials stated.
Israeli officials revealed that the jihadist was a Palestinian man named Moahammed Salayma, who is in his early 20s and lives in the East Jerusalem Palestinian village of Ras al-Amud.
On Thursday, Salayma uploaded a picture to Facebook of himself wrapped in a Palestinian flag with the caption, “In the name of Allah and the homeland,” Haaretz reports.
Palestinian terror group Hamas has come out in support of the attack. “Hamas movement blesses this heroic [act] and considers it a natural response to the Occupations crimes,” said Hamas spokesman Samu Abu Zuhri.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barakat said authorities would continue to “fight terrorism” in the city, and urged citizens to continue to “keep to the routine of our daily lives.”
“We are resolved to continue and fight terrorism and to use all means necessary for this purpose,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
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