Jerusalem: Security guard kills shooter

Security guard at Ateret Kohanin yeshiva in Jerusalem's Old City shoots and kills Palestinian who snatched another guard's weapon and wounded him. Ten other people wounded in incident

Efrat Weiss
Latest Update: 08.10.07, 19:33 / Israel News

A security guard at the Ateret Kohanim yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem shot and killed a Palestinian man who snatched the weapon of another guard and used it to wound him.

Ten bystanders were wounded by gunfire as the second security guard pursued the shooter down the streets of the Old City. The guard himself was also moderately hurt.

Rescue teams and medics evacuated the injured to the hospitals Shaarei Tzedek, Hadassah Ein Kerem and Hadassah Har Hatzofim.

Large security forces arrived at the scene, as well as police chief Dudi Cohen and Jerusalem police chief Aharon Franco. "The security in Jerusalem is on the highest level. One can arrive there and even walk through the alleys of the Old City," Cohen said.

On the attack itself Cohen said, "This was clearly a nationalistic incident. The terrorist wished to carry out an attack, and that was why he snatched one of the guards' weapons. The guards acted in an exemplary manner, as is required."

A police investigation revealed that before killing the shooter, the guard chased him down the streets of the Old City. According to several witnesses in the area, the gunman fired several rounds at the security guard as he was running, but they were inaccurate and missed him.