Blitz in the Jewish colony

Six dead and eight injured

TEL AVIV – The attack started late in the evening. Two Palestinian guerrillas broke into the colony of Otniel, near Hebron, and killed four Israelis and wounded eight others. Both men were killed after fighting for half an hour with an Israeli military unit. The massacre was claimed by Islamic Jihad, a retaliation after the killing, yesterday in the north of the West Bank, of one of the military commanders of that organization.

The attack started at around 8 pm local time. The Israeli college students gathered in the dining room to attend the Friday dinner which marks the beginning of the Sabbath rest. The Palestinian threw a hand grenade and immediately opened fire on the boys. Having recovered from the shock, Israeli soldiers guarding the colony besieged the rabbinical college, killing the attackers.

The population of the colony was ordered to shut themselves up at home, fearing that one of the attackers could try to capture hostages. In the dining room the rescuers found a gruesome scene. On the floor lay the bodies of the four Israeli victims and one of the bombers, while eight others pleaded to be rescued.

Two of the injured, transported by helicopter to the hospital in Beer Sheba, appear to be in serious condition. One of them is badly burned.

December 27, 2002