Early today, a lone terrorist stabbed at least 12 passengers in Tel Aviv’s No.40 Dan bus. Three of the injured have been admitted in hospital in critical condition. The knife-man attempted to escape but was apprehended after he was incapacitated by a shot fired on him during a police and passengers chase. He is currently in police custody.
The bus had just passed the Maariv Bridge along the Begin Road when the lone terrorist embarked on it and started his stabbing spree by first stabbing the driver before proceeding on to stab other innocent passengers. Bentzi Sau, the police commander for Tel Aviv, commended the bus driver for his prompt and courageous response to the knife attack.
The lone terrorist has been identified as a 23-year-old Palestinian man hailing from the West Bank village of Tulkarem. Israeli police spokesman has stated that police are currently patrolling the streets of Tel Aviv to deter and avert a repeat attack. Israeli security experts have confirmed that there exists a worrying pattern of lone Palestinians conducting terror attacks using unsophisticated weapons. In November last year, an Israeli soldier and a female Israeli were killed in two separate knife attacks perpetrated by lone Palestinian terrorists.
Al-Qaeda, its affiliate and the Islamic State have used social media sites, online media channels and crypted communications to urge its supporters who cannot join Jihadi insurgencies in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to conduct lone wolf terrorist attacks against non-Muslims living in the Non-Muslim world.
