IDF forces today (Wednesday) eliminated Muhammad Zakarneh in the town of Qabatiya – the third and final terrorist from the cell that carried out the deadly shooting attack in the village of Funduq approximately three months ago. The attack claimed the lives of three Israeli civilians and left eight others wounded.
Terror cell fully neutralized
The cell belonged to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization. Two of its members were killed over two months ago during Operation “Iron Wall” in Jenin, following a standoff in which they barricaded themselves inside a building in the town of Wadi Burqin, near Jenin. Until now, the third terrorist, Zakarneh, had managed to evade Israeli forces – but today, he was located and eliminated.
This marks the complete elimination of the terror cell responsible for one of the deadliest attacks in the recent wave of terrorism.
The shooting attack near Al-Funduq
The shooting occurred about three months ago on Route 55, near the village of Al-Funduq, when terrorists opened fire on a bus and a private vehicle. As a result, medics at the scene were forced to pronounce the deaths of three victims: Police officer Elad Yaakov Winkelstein (35), Rachel Cohen (70), and Aliza Reiss (73). Five others were injured – one critically, one moderately, and three lightly – and were evacuated to the emergency department at Meir Medical Center.
“No safe haven for terrorists in Judea and Samaria”
Ozal Vatik, head of the Kedumim Regional Council, responded to the elimination of the third terrorist from the Funduq attack:
“The circle is complete. The terrorist was hiding like a hunted rat in a cave, armed.”
He stated that the intensified security activity in Jenin was a direct result of the attack, and that it forced the terrorist to flee and go into hiding. Vatik added:
“On behalf of the families and residents of the region, we thank the security forces for this necessary elimination, and we call for continued operations – there is no safe haven for terrorists in Judea and Samaria.”
