An Israeli soldier shot his weapon in the air aboard a passenger train near the port city of Haifa Thursday morning after troops thought they spotted a man with a knife in the carriage, Times of Israel reports.
Five people were treated for light injuries as the train was evacuated amid a minor panic, but the incident was ruled to be a false alarm, police said.
According to Israel Police, several female soldiers who were travelling on the train saw a person who looked suspicious to them and began shouting “terrorist!”
An IDF officer sitting in the front of the carriage cocked his gun and fired one bullet in the air.
The train continued on its track until it reached the Paz Bridge in the city and then stopped, using its emergency breaks.
Police officers from the Haifa District searched the carriage and the area near the train but within minutes announced the incident a false alarm.
Five people suffered scuffs, bruises as the train emptied out during the scare. Three other people were treated for shock.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
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