Border Police Officers Attacked Near Qalandiya Crossing; Suspects Found to Be Security Guards

Early Tuesday morning, Border Police officers in the West Bank were attacked near the Qalandiya checkpoint by occupants of a civilian vehicle. The force was en route to an operational mission and was passing through a checkpoint designated exclusively for security personnel when a vehicle from the Judea and Samaria area attempted to enter Israeli territory through the same checkpoint. When officers approached the vehicle to verify the identities of the passengers, the suspects exited and assaulted the officers with punches and chokeholds, attempting to seize their weapons.

During the attack, a female officer fired a warning shot into the air, but the suspects continued their assault. Subsequently, a male officer, perceiving a direct threat to his life and that of his colleagues as one suspect was choking another officer, fired at the lower bodies of two suspects. The officer who fired then administered first aid to the wounded until medical teams arrived.

It was later revealed that the two suspects who were shot and lightly injured are employed as security guards, though they were not identified as such during the incident. Several Border Police officers also sustained minor injuries. The circumstances surrounding the event are currently under investigation.