A female IDF soldier was severely wounded Monday morning in a terrorist stabbing attack near Rachel’s Tomb in Jerusalem.
The attack occurred at approximately 11 am at a security checkpoint between Jerusalem and the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.
The 20-year-old soldier was stabbed in the throat and neck by the female terrorist during a security check. She was treated on scene by Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics who evacuated the soldier to Hadassah Medical Center.
MDA told media that the soldier was conscious following the attack and sustained wounds in her upper body and neck.
@Mdais Photos from the stabbing scene: pic.twitter.com/ZypA5GIB6R
— MAGEN DAVID ADOM (@Mdais) June 29, 2015
Knife and scene of the stabbing attack of #IDF soldier at the Rachel Crossing the entrance of #Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/KtKzRf6fWI
— Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) June 29, 2015
The terrorist was apprehended and questioned by security forces. Upon searching her belongings, police said two more knives were found hidden in the terrorist’s bag.
Rachel’s Tomb is the burial site of the Biblical matriarch Rachel. The site has been a target of terror attacks since the Second Intifada in 2000. As a result, the burial compound is fortified and surrounded by high, thick cement walls and barbed wire.
IDF presence is a constant at Rachel’s Tomb.
Monday mornings attack comes only hours after an earlier incident in which a Border Police officer stopped a Palestinian teenager armed with an assault rifle from entering Israeli territory in Jerusalem.
The 15-year-old Palestinian hid the weapon under his clothing. He attempted to pass through an Israeli checkpoint near the Shuafat refugee camp located north of Jerusalem.
The officer was operating a metal detector at the time of the incident. He asked the teen to pass through the scanner a second time and, upon an indication of a hidden metallic object, uncovered the sub-machine gun.
The teenager was arrested and in for questioning by security forces.
The IDF is on high alert this month due to the Muslim holiday of Ramadan in which spikes in violence occur throughout Israel.