Unknown vandals damaged the jeep of Samaria Brigade Commander Colonel Yoav Yarom Friday, in what appears to have been a “price tag” attack. His vehicle was attacked as it was parked in the Samarian community of Yitzhar, as Yarom was meeting with community leaders there.

The meeting was called in light of a number of clashes last week between Jews and Arabs in the area. At one point during the meeting, Yarom returned to his car, only to find that the tires had been punctured. 

Community members rushed to the scene along with Deputy Head of the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council Yossi Dagan, and promptly replaced the commander’s tires. Community leaders apologized for the incident, which was apparently the work of local radical elements.

Police have opened a formal investigation into the attack.

The head of the Shomron Regional Council, Gershon Mesika, released a statement of condemnation, stating that he and other leaders “view with the utmost severity any attack against IDF soldiers, and certainly against the Shomron commander who came to help” local residents.

“It should be noted that the local residents repaired the punctured tires and have apologized for the incident,” he added.

Meanwhile Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon reacted angrily to the “severe and unbearable” incident, promising to track down the perpetrators and pledging to deal with the “underlying phenomenon” which allow for such attacks to occur.

Colonel Yarom “works day and night to protect the residents of the area and the citizens of Israel, and an attack on his car is a foul act carried out by a handful of outlaws who belong behind bars,” he said.