Palestinians Shot Dead After Jerusalem Attack Kills Israeli Officer
Jerusalem, 25 Rabiul Akhir 1437/4 February 2016 (MINA) – Three Palestinians were shot dead Wednesday after they killed an Israeli police officer and wounded another in an armed attack near Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli police said.
Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld told Ma’an that “three attackers were shot dead at the scene” by Israeli Border Police after carrying out an attack with knives and an automatic weapon.
The three Palestinian youths had attracted the attention of Israeli Border Police officers as they approached Damascus Gate, police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said.
She said they were stopped by the officers, and as one showed their identification card, another pulled out a gun and opened fire. Two female Border Police officers were wounded and evacuated for medical treatment.
One of them, 19-year-old Hadar Cohen, was shot in her head and later pronounced dead at Hadassah Hospital, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Ma’an..
A spokesperson for the hospital said that the other police officer, 18 years old, was in moderate condition, having received stab wounds across her body.
Explosive devices were later found near the site, which was cordoned off following the attack, Rosenfeld said, adding that Israeli forces carried out a controlled explosion of the devices.
Rosenfeld said following initial investigations that the three Palestinians were armed with three automatic weapons.
Witnesses told Ma’an that Israeli forces fired stun grenades and pepper spray near the Salah al-Deen Street and Al-Sultan Suliman streets near Damascus Gate to prevent Palestinians from approaching the area.
Witnesses added the forces also stopped a group of people and inspected them in a “humiliating” way.
The three Palestinians killed were identified as Ahmad Rajeh Ismail Zakarneh, Muhammad Ahmad Hilmi Kamil, and Najeh Ibrahim Abu al-Rub from the village of Qabatiya near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. (T/R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
