Factory owner: Palestinians tried to kidnap me
Israeli citizen tells police armed Palestinians attacked him, but he managed to fire at them. Blood stains, toy gun found on scene
Criminal or nationalistic? An Israeli citizen of Kiryat Sefer near Modi'in, complained to the police that six Palestinians, four of them armed, tried to kidnap him from his cement factory.
The man was unharmed, but told police that he opened fire on the assailants, injuring one of them before they fled the scene. The police later announced that a toy gun was found on the scene.
The attack took place around 12 p.m., police said. Army and Border Guard troops arrived at the factory shortly after and conducted searches in the area.
Police said footprints identified in the area seemed to be belonging to the four gunmen. Blood stains were also found, backing the man's claim that he had injured one of the assailants.
The Kiryat Sefer security officer, Yair Kirsehnbaum, told Ynet that the incident took place at a Solel Boneh factory, near the separation fence.
"At around 12 p.m., six people, four of them armed, approached the site manager, Yehushua Abutbul. They tried to tie the factory owner under threats, but he was armed and fired at them.
"The factory owner apparently hit one of them, and while he was escaping, one of the assailants was hit and dropped the weapon on the floor. Blood stains were also found there. They all managed to escape and crossed the separation fence toward the village of Kharbata," he said.
The Israel Defense Forces said they incident is being dealt with as a failed kidnapping attempt, but security officials refused to confirm whether the incident was a criminal act or a kidnapping attempt by terror groups.
Security officials said the assailants most likely fled to the West Bank village of Kharbata by car.
Meital Tzur contributed to the report
