JERUSALEM (AP) – Three Palestinians carrying automatic weapons, explosive devices and knives shot and stabbed two Israeli security officers in Jerusalem on Wednesday, wounding both before police shot and killed the attackers, police said.
It was one the most brazen attacks in nearly five months of near-daily Palestinian assaults, mostly stabbings, on Israeli police, soldiers and civilians. Israel has struggled to contain the violence, despite sending troops to secure cities, expanding police powers and toughening punishments for attackers.
Wednesday’s attack took place after Israeli paramilitary border police officers on a security patrol noticed three people who aroused their suspicion near the Old City’s Damascus Gate, a central shopping area for Palestinians as well as a main tourist draw, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.
The officers stopped them, and as they began checking one of their ID cards, the other two drew guns and knives and attacked two female officers, wounding both, one of them critically, police said.
Police officers opened fire and killed the three Palestinians. They then defused the explosive devices they were carrying.