Israeli soldiers transport a wounded Israeli on a gurney after he was evacuated by helicopter to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, following an attack in the Israeli occupied West Bank. AFP
AFP/Jerusalem
A driver rammed a car into a group of Israeli pedestrians in the West Bank Thursday, wounding at least three, before troops opened fire and stopped the vehicle, the military and media said.
The incident occurred at a junction midway between Ramallah and Nablus in the Israeli-occupied territory, and soldiers "fired toward the vehicle in order to prevent the suspect's escape, confirming a hit," Colonel Peter Lerner said.
The car, with an Israeli license plate, could be seen overturned afterwards.
Neither the identity nor the condition of the attacker were immediately known, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the driver as a "terrorist" in praising the army for its quick reaction.
Army radio quoted emergency services as saying one person was seriously wounded and another critically.
Local media said the three wounded were Israelis.
Netanyahu said on Twitter: "I'd like to praise the action of the (Israeli) soldiers, who reacted quickly and neutralised the terrorist."
Palestinians last year carried out a series of car attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
