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Last update - 00:00 22/09/2008
17 hurt as terrorist plows car into Jerusalem crowd
By Jonathan Lis and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press
Tags: Palestinians, Israel 

Seventeen people were wounded Monday night when a resident of Arab East Jerusalem plowed his car into a crowd of Israel Defense Forces soldiers on their way to the Western Wall to mark the upcoming Jewish New Year.

The attack occurred in the capital's Tzahal Square, close to the Old City.

Two of the wounded were in serious condition, four were moderately hurt and the rest were lightly wounded, the Magen David Adom rescue service said. At least 13 were still hospitalized Tuesday morning. One of the victims was still in moderate to serious condition.
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Jerusalem Police Commander Ilan Franco said the driver had apparently acted alone.

"A man in a vehicle struck a number of people in Tzahal Square," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. "We can confirm it was a terror attack. The man was shot and killed."

A previously unknown group claimed responsibility for the attack, Channel 2 television said.

An Israel Radio reporter at the scene described a large group of mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews chasing an Arab into the Old City after the attack.

The emergency call came into Magen David Adom at 10:55 P.M., but it described the incident as a traffic accident. Only when the ambulance arrived did it become clear that it was a terror attack.

"I saw the car coming quickly and hit a group of soldiers and students standing there," an eyewitness said. "It happened very fast. It was impossible to know beforehand that this is what he intended to do."

Rescue personnel evacuated all of the victims to hospitals in the city. Local TV showed footage of a wounded soldier on a stretcher, holding his head, as he was wheeled into an ambulance.

Dr. Yuval Weiss, the director of Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem, said that 10 victims had been treated at the hospital, all of them fully conscious.

Jerusalem police said that though there was no prior intelligence indicating a possible terror attack, the level of alert had been raised in recent days due to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming Jewish holidays.

This is the third time a vehicle has been used in a terror attack in Jerusalem in as many months. In July, two East Jerusalem residents carried out separate attacks with vehicles used in ongoing construction work in the city, killing three people and wounding many others.

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      1.   Let`s see how livni reacts 23:20  |  Arie 22/09/08
      2.   Yet another demented terror action 23:28  |  Johnny 22/09/08
      3.   God Thanks To Armed Civilians 23:34  |  Eli 22/09/08
      4.   armed civilians 23:46  |  JL 22/09/08
      5.   how much longer are the fantasies of dealing with arabs going to 23:52  |  victor hardman 22/09/08
      6.   Vehicle terror in Jerusalem 23:57  |  P Hackner 22/09/08
      7.   Criminal idiot... !! 23:59  |  Esther 22/09/08
      8.   AGAIN! 00:00  |  docD 23/09/08
      9.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 00:03  |  Pssed OFF ARAB 23/09/08
      10.   no country would suffer suc a crime,collective punishment needed 00:07  |  louis 23/09/08
      11.   That`s the very reason Israeli civilians carry arms 00:07  |  * BEN JABO 23/09/08
      12.   would Olmert also call this a pogrom? 00:15  |  Eddie 23/09/08
      13.   News wires confirm that soldiers were targeted 00:18  |  Palestinian in UK 23/09/08
      14.   Poor Pal terrorists drive luxurous BMWs... 00:21  |  Humphrey 23/09/08
      15.   These Arabs Do Not Help Anyone or Anything 00:30  |  Baruch Gold 23/09/08
      16.   Time for a few missiles 00:35  |  SystemF 23/09/08
      17.   # 10 louis 00:35  |  Axel 23/09/08
      18.   why is Jerusalem currently the most unsafe place in Israel? 00:42  |  ivo 23/09/08
      19.   ben jabo 11 00:47  |  potobac 23/09/08
      20.   terror 00:48  |  Don 23/09/08
      21.   "Opressed Arabs" driving BMWs? 00:48  |  Sara 23/09/08
      22.   Ben Jabo`s version 00:48  |  Tito 23/09/08
      23.   #11 - I respectfully disagree with you 00:55  |  Adam 23/09/08
      24.   demolish the home of the family 01:05  |  judith 23/09/08
      25.   victor, of course Bush won`t speak out 01:11  |  MaryRose 23/09/08
      26.   Interesting use of `terror` 01:34  |  Colin Wright 23/09/08
      27.   Another Arab Hero (Ester #7) 01:42  |  Steve 23/09/08
      28.   # 10, Louis 01:48  |  Maria 23/09/08
      29.   A better title might be...... 02:19  |  David James Vickery 23/09/08
      30.   Since when has J`lem 02:26  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/09/08
      31.   enough already 02:27  |  shimon 23/09/08
      32.   A beginning 02:37  |  Adam Price 23/09/08
      33.   Hate expressed at a level 02:40  |  Scharker Yid 23/09/08
      34.   # 29 David James Vickery 02:42  |  Michael Jacobs 23/09/08
      35.   What if it wasn`t a terrorist attack? 02:46  |  Alex 23/09/08
      36.   "terror" attack?? 02:47  |  Hmm 23/09/08
      37.   shimon, wisdom would say 02:51  |  Maria 23/09/08
      38.   "Terror" 02:55  |  Ismail 23/09/08
      39.   Driver`s License 03:03  |  Fish 23/09/08
      40.   Chris #30, civilians have no "right" to engage in "resistance" 03:17  |  Dr. L. Brnd 23/09/08
      41.   # 38 Ismail 03:18  |  Michael Jacobs 23/09/08
      42.   Clever lawyers will bring peace 03:20  |  Sol Icitor 23/09/08
      43.   Wait Till Next Week... 03:39  |  Yosemite 23/09/08
      44.   the way to a terrorists heart 03:42  |  Billy Munney 23/09/08
      45.   He did not just attcak soldiers!!!!!!! 03:47  |  Maurice 23/09/08
      46.   Memo to Haaretz: Attacking soldiers isn`t terrorism 03:56  |  peacelover 23/09/08
      47.   #43 Monitor 04:05  |  Michael Jacobs 23/09/08
      48.   The "holy month of Ramadan"a civillian car,driver without uniform 04:10  |  PETER SM 23/09/08
      49.   Definitely a TERRORIST attack 04:16  |  American 23/09/08
      50.   Re #26, 47 Colin Wright exonerates Menachem Begin! 04:22  |  DJStahl 23/09/08
      51.   More good news from the recent attack in Jerusalem -- 04:31  |  DJStahl 23/09/08
      52.   #35 Alex, So you want 2 Birth Rights 04:32  |  Monitor 23/09/08
      53.   Attack in civilian clothes,car is by definition 04:35  |  Joe Frazier 23/09/08
      54.   Jumping to conclusions 05:01  |  Tom 23/09/08
      55.   His family will have to pay to deter 05:03  |  Jozef 23/09/08
      56.   terrorism 05:28  |  Jasper 23/09/08
      57.   His family will have to pay dearly 05:35  |  vik 23/09/08
      58.   Action and Reaction 05:48  |  ELIAS 23/09/08
      59.   The palestinian have the right in J-town 06:21  |  David 23/09/08
      60.   #50 Irgun and the Stern Gang were Terrorists.. 06:27  |  Edithann, USA 23/09/08
      61.   Settlers 06:33  |  AARON 23/09/08
      62.   attack 06:40  |  rm 23/09/08
      63.   "Apartheid" 06:47  |  Steve 23/09/08
      64.   Vik 07:03  |  Justice 23/09/08
      65.