Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops during a protest marking “Land Day” in the West Bank city village of Qusra near Nablus on March 30, 2018. Photo: Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90

JNS.org – A terrorist attack was thwarted Sunday in the Gush Etzion settlement of Tekoa after an Arab assailant pounced on a Jewish resident with a metal rod.

An initial investigation found that shortly before the attack, the same assailant had yelled “Allahu akbar” (“God is great”) and hurled rocks at a different resident at a parking lot outside the settlement, Israeli media reported.

After that attack, the assailant fled and managed to breach the perimeter fence and infiltrate the settlement, where he grabbed a metal object and tried to attack a second victim.

However, the man was armed and managed to subdue his attacker with the help of two passersby and the community’s on-call security officer, who arrived within seconds.

After the incident, the IDF issued a statement saying, “IDF troops arrested a Palestinian man who tried to attack a settler with a metal rod in Tekoa. There were no casualties. IDF troops are combing the area for suspects.”

The community’s own security team also searched the area, including around schools and kindergartens, where students and preschoolers were attending the first day of the school year. Residents of the community were instructed to remain in their homes.

One woman was treated for shock at the scene of the attempted attack.