Infant killed, 8 hurt in suspected terror attack on Jerusalem light rail

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JERUSALEM (JTA) — A 3-month-old girl was killed and eight people were injured when a car crashed into a light rail station in Jerusalem.

The suspected terror attack, captured on security camera video, occurred Wednesday afternoon at the Ammunition Hill station in northern Jerusalem as passengers were disembarking from the train. Several of the injured passengers reportedly are American citizens.

The driver of the car attempted to flee the scene on foot and was shot by police. Israeli media have published unconfirmed reports naming the driver as a former Palestinian prisoner from the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, which has been a recent source of Arab-Jewish tension.

The infant girl, identified as Chaya Zissel Braun, died at the Hadassah hospital on Mount Scopus of her wounds. The driver reportedly was hospitalized with serious wounds.

The infant’s grandfather, Shimshon Halperin of Israel, told reporters later that the baby was born after her parents had tried for years to conceive with no success. The family was returning from the Western Wall when they attack occurred, he said.

The light rail has come under attack in recent weeks by stone-throwing Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem.

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