Suspected Perpetrator of Deadly West Bank Shooting Attack Detained by Israeli Security Forces
by Barney Breen-Portnoy
A Palestinian man suspected of carrying out last month’s shooting attack in the West Bank in which two IDF soldiers were killed has been detained, Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service announced on Tuesday.
Asam Barghouti, according to the Shin Bet, was the shooter in a Dec. 13 drive-by attack at the Givat Asaf junction, northeast of Ramallah. At time of his arrest, Barghouti was found to be in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle, ammunition and night-vision equipment.
Barghouti was also said to be involved a similar Dec. 9 shooting at the nearby Ofra junction, which led to the death of a baby who was delivered premature after his mother was seriously wounded in the incident.
His brother, Saleh Omar Barghouti, was the alleged gunman in the Ofra attack who later died in an exchange of fire with Israeli security forces.
“The long hand of Israel will reach all those who harm our citizens, and the State of Israel will bring to them to justice,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on Tuesday.
Watch below a video published by the IDF showing its activities in the West Bank in recent weeks that led to Barghouti’s arrest:
תיעוד מפעילות כוחות צה”ל במרחב החטיבה המרחבית “בנימין” בשבועות האחרונים,
הכוללות עשרות מעצרים במסגרת המאמץ לתפיסת המחבל עאצם ברגותי, שביצע את פיגוע הירי בגבעת אסף והיה שותף לביצוע פיגוע הירי בצומת עופרה pic.twitter.com/wpGpLx7JR4— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 8, 2019