IDF forces advanced into Jordanian territory as they searched for the terrorist cell that opened fire Tuesday morning on a car traveling on the Tiberias-Beit Shean highway, parallel to the Jordanian border. One Israeli was killed and at least three others were injured in the shooting attack and subsequent gunfire exchanges.

According to media reports, a heavy gun battle took place between the IDF and the terrorists, which may have been operating from Jordan. An Israeli helicopter was reported firing into bushes along the banks of the Jordan River. Jordanian security forces reportedly cooperated with Israel and allowed the IDF forces to operate in their territory. Earlier, the Jordanians launched a search along the eastern side of the international border.

But Jordanian government officials said there was no proof the gunmen came from Jordanian territory. "No Israeli military units from the West (of the Jordan River) entered Jordanian lines and no confrontation took place or any exchange of fire from across our border with the Israelis," Jordanian Minister of State Saleh Qallab told Reuters.

The border flare-up began when terrorists fired on a car traveling on the highway south of Moshav Beit Yosef shortly after 7 a.m. An IDF soldier was seriously injured in the attack. The shooting originated from the direction of the border. A large IDF force arrived at the site and closed off roads as it began searching for the terrorists. The other Israelis were reportedly injured more than two hours later during the gunfire exchanges.

The Israeli-Jordanian border is usually considered to be Israel's "quiet border," and there have been no reports of cross-border shooting incidents in over a year. Tuesday's attack occurred not far from where a deranged Jordanian soldier shot and killed seven Israeli schoolgirls at Naharayim in 1997.

Recently there have been a number of reports that Palestinians have been planning to perpetrate shooting attacks from Jordan, and Jordanian forces have actively made efforts to thwart these attempts.

Shooting victim pulls gun and kills terrorist
Meanwhile, the condition of Vitali Binos, 47, from Karnei Shomron, injured in a shooting attack Monday afternoon in Samaria, remains critical. Binos was ambushed and shot at by terrorists as he was driving between Shavei Shomron and Einav, but managed to return fire and kill one of the gunmen.

Binos was driving near the village of Ramin when a terrorist opened fire on him, apparently with an M-16 rifle. Binos was injured in the chest and head, as some 30 bullets struck his car. Even so, he managed to draw his 9mm pistol and return fire at his attackers. The terrorists, believing that Binos was dead, took Binos's pistol and fled the scene to Palestinian-controlled territory.

Paramedic Moshe Rosenfeld from Karnei Shomron reported that Binos was conscious when an ambulance crew arrived at the scene. "He saw the three terrorists who shot at him approaching his vehicle. He shot at them and is pretty sure that he hit at least one of them… Then they stole his gun," Rosenfeld said.

Palestinian sources later reported that a Fatah operative was killed, and another wounded in a skirmish in the area. IDF officers believe that the Fatah man was one of the attackers.

The Fatah's al-Aqsa Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. "We are expressing anger at [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon's decision to ban [Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser] Arafat from leaving Ramallah for Bethlehem," a member of the group told Reuters and vowed to continue attacks against Israeli targets.

Israeli police officers commended Binos's brave reaction to the terrorist attack. "[The terrorists] used a number of magazines and emptied them [as they shot] at his car, and almost didn't leave him a chance."

Binos's friends told Maariv afterwards that they were not surprised at his actions. Binos frequently practiced at a firing range and was a gun expert they said. Before moving to Israel, Binos had been "an officer in the Russian army, fought in Afghanistan, and is not one to give up easily," they said.

IDF sources said that despite the relative quiet over the last week, during which no Israelis had been injured, there were still shooting attacks in the territories, but at a less intense rate.

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