2002 Hebron ambush
| 2002 Hebron ambush | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Second Intifada | |||||
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| Belligerents | |||||
 Israel Defense Forces
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 Palestinian Islamic Jihad
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| Strength | |||||
| IDF Nahal brigade, Border police and the Kiryat Arba Emergency Response Team | 3 fighters from Jerusalem Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 12 Israeli combatants killed, 15 wounded | 3 Palestinian combatants killed | ||||
| No non-combatant casualties | |||||
The 2002 Hebron ambush took place in the Wadi an-Nasara neighborhood in Hebron in the West Bank on 15 November 2002. Israeli forces were subjected to a double attack by militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The battle was referred to in Israel as "The attack in the worshipers route",Hebrew: הפיגוע בציר המתפללים. The place where the attack took place became known as the "Alley of Death" both in Hebrew and Arabic. The ambush was initially dubbed as the "Sabbath massacre" (Hebrew: טבח השבת) by official Israeli spokespersons.
The attacks were carried out in a narrow alley, off the passage from the south gate of Kiryat Arba to the Tomb of the Patriarchs by three Palestinian attackers. Twelve Israeli soldiers, gendarmes, and civilian security guards, including three high-ranking officers, were killed in the battle, as were all three of the Palestinian attackers.
One of the militants positioned himself near the front of the exit gate of Kiryat Arba towards Hebron. The remaining two militants positioned themselves near the a narrow alley off the road used as a passage by all Jewish worshipers heading from Kiryat Arba to the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
Four Nahal Brigade soldiers on patrol, accompanied by Border Police jeeps were heading out of the "Worshippers Way" after patrol that area. In addition, two additional Nahal soldiers were positioned in an observation post located nearby and several more IDF soldiers were located near the exit gate of Kiryat Arba.
A group of settlers from Kiryat Arba had visited the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron for a Sabbath eve service and were escorted back to the settlement by Israeli military. A few minutes after the all clear signal rang, signaling that all the settlers had safely returned to Kiryat Arba, the first bullets were fired.
At 6:55 pm the Palestinian militants opened fire simultaneously on a group of soldiers guarding the south gate of Kiryat Arba and a patrol passing through a narrow alley leading from the Tomb of the Patriarchs to Kiryat Arba. Two soldiers in the alley were wounded. One IDF paramedic was killed trying to evacuate the wounded.
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Wikipedia