Security forces launched extensive searches near Modiin Illit on Wednesday evening after reports of gunfire coming from the direction of the Palestinian village of Deir Qaddis, with a resident describing seeing an armed Arab emerge from a building and apparently begin shooting.
Following the report of possible gunfire toward Modiin Illit, the military declared an “Abir Layla Bet” security alert in the city and dispatched forces to search the surrounding area.
A resident who was near the Brachfeld neighborhood, close to the neighboring Arab villages, described witnessing the frightening incident firsthand.
According to the resident, he initially noticed several Arabs in the area. A short time later, he saw a man emerge from a building holding what appeared to be a firearm.
“I hear bangs, I look, I think it’s a rifle. He starts shooting. We ran away. There was some kind of container there, so I ran to the container,” the resident recounted.
He estimated that he and the others with him were only about 200 to 250 meters away from the individuals at the time.
The residents contacted security officials immediately after the incident and provided their location and details of what they had witnessed.
According to the witness, numerous security personnel arrived within minutes, including the local security coordinator, a Shin Bet officer and military vehicles.
Security personnel questioned the witnesses and gathered information about what they had seen and heard. The resident said he later observed forces entering the nearby village and conducting searches of buildings and other structures.
“I see from a distance jeeps entering the village, going into houses with flashlights, entering a pen, checking everything,” he said.
The witness said security personnel did not subsequently inform him whether anything suspicious had been discovered during the searches or whether anyone had been apprehended.
Authorities were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the reported gunfire and whether the incident represented an attempted shooting attack.
{Matzav.com}
