Terrorist attack on bus at Emmanuel
December 12, 2001
©2001 Reuter/Reinhard Krause
Bus attacked by terrorists near Emmanuel (Dec 12) |
Three terrorists attacked a No. 189 Dan bus and several passenger cars with a roadside bomb, anti-tank grenades, and light arms fire near the entrance to Emmanuel in Samaria at 18:00 P.M. 10 people were killed and about 30 were injured; one subsequently died of his wounds. The three terrorists belong to a Hamas cell operating out of Nablus. Originating from the village of Tel in Samaria, two of the terrorists were on the list of 33 terrorists to be arrested submitted by US Envoy General Anthony Zinni to the Palestinian Authority.
Bus 189 was traveling to the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Emmanuel from Bnei Brak. About a kilometer north of the settlement, three terrorists who were lying in wait on a hillside overlooking the road exploded two bombs that had been planted earlier, causing a great deal of damage. Some of the passengers were killed instantly.
The bus continued driving for another few hundred meters, at which point passengers began trying to escape. At that point, one of the terrorists came down from the hill and began throwing hand grenades and shooting at the fleeing passengers. The other two terrorists also shot at the passengers, from the hillside. More people were wounded or killed by this shooting, including some of the occupants of three private cars that were traveling near the bus. The terrorists also shot at the rescuers who were trying to evacuate the wounded.
Shortly afterward, Border Police, police and army forces arrived, and the security forces engaged the terrorists in a gun battle with the terrorists. One was killed, but two escaped, apparently headed on foot for the Palestinian-controlled city of Nablus.
Selected photos of the attack
The names of the victims:
- Yair Amar, 13, of Emmanuel
- Esther Avraham, 42, of Emmanuel
- Border Police Chief Warrant Officer Yoel Bienenfeld, 35, of Moshav Tel Shahar
- Moshe Gutman, 40, of Emmanuel
- Avraham Nahman Nitzani, 17, of Betar Illit
- Yirmiyahu Salem, 48, of Emmanuel
- Israel Sternberg, 46, of Emmanuel
- David Tzarfati, 38, of Ginot Shomron
- Hananya Tzarfati, 32, of Kfar Saba
- Ya'akov Tzarfati, 64, of Kfar Saba
- Haim Chiprot, 52, of Emmanuel, injured in the attack, died of his wounds on March 25, 2002.
News report:
10 killed in attack on bus near Emmanuel - Ha'aretz, Dec 13, 2001
The Israeli response:
Security Cabinet Decision - Dec 12, 2001
Reactions of world leaders:
US envoy Anthony Zinni: "On behalf of the United States government, I want to condemn in the strongest possible terms this murderous act of terror against Israelis and offer my condolences and sympathies to the families of those killed and injured in this evil attack. There can be no justification or excuses for not acting to combat terror in a sustained and comprehensive manner. Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority must move immediately to arrest those responsible for these attacks and to destroy the infrastructure of the terror organizations that support them. Coexistence with these organizations or acquiescence in their activities is simply not acceptable. Palestinians must act against these groups and they must act now."
EU envoy Javier Solana also condemned the attack in the "strongest terms." "I am appalled by the news of the latest terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians," he said.