Terrorist in Beersheba stabs 2, shot dead by soldier
Family denies nationalistic motivation to attack
A terrorist stabbed two soldiers at the central station in Beersheba on Sunday morning, the time of week when the station is at its busiest.
Another soldier present at the scene shot and killed the terrorist.
Magen David Adom paramedics provided medical treatment to the 20-yearold officer with a stab wound in moderate condition. Another soldier was lightly wounded, and both were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in stable condition. Additionally, a bus driver was treated for a panic attack.
The terrorist, Naji Abu Freh, was a Bedouin resident of Rahat and a bus driver, according to reports. Documentation from the scene shows him running between platforms at the busy station, wielding a knife. He was neutralized at the scene and taken to a medical center where he was later pronounced dead.
Israel Police’s Southern District Commander Asst.-Ch. Amir Cohen said Abu Freh got on a bus from Rahat at 7:40 a.m. N12 reported that he left his cellular device at home. At 8:35 a.m., he pulled out the knife and stabbed the officer.
Shalev, a border policeman who happened to be at the station, physically tackled Abu Freh and managed to kick the knife out of his hands.
An eyewitness told Ynet that she heard screams and ran into a walk-in refrigerator at a bakery. “We were there for 15 minutes. We had no idea what
was going on.”
Abu Freh had a criminal record, Ynet reported, adding that he was supposed to serve a sentence for drug-related offenses. His family has denied the nationalistic nature attributed to the attack, saying it “has no basis.”