Three gunmen shot and killed two Israeli police officers early Friday at the entrance to a site holy to Muslims and Jews before the assailants were chased inside the courtyard of the Al Aqsa mosque, where they were shot and killed, authorities said.
The identities of the assailants were not immediately released but Israeli media, citing identification cards found at the scene by first responders, reported the three attackers were Arab Israeli citizens.
Israel’s domestic security service, Shin Bet, later told reporters the attackers were from an Arab town in Israel called Umm al-Fahm and that they shared the same name, Muhammad Jabarin, suggesting they may be cousins.
Police said the three began the assault just after 7 a.m. at the Lion’s Gate into the Old City near one of the main entrances to the Al Aqsa mosque complex, a raised esplanade also known as the Temple Mount.
The site is holy to Jews and Muslims and a scene of frequent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces.
After firing their weapons, the men ran into the courtyard of the mosque complex and were shot and killed there by Israeli forces, police said.
A video shows one of the three on ground. The man suddenly jumps up and can be seen swinging his arms, attacking the police, who respond on with rapid and repeated fire.
Following the attack, Jerusalem police Chief Yoram Halevi canceled Friday prayers at the mosque and ordered the complex cleared and the entrances shut. The narrow alleys around mosque were filled with Israeli police and soldiers.
Police said the assailants used a homemade pistol and two machine guns, the type manufactured in clandestine workshops in the West Bank. These kinds of weapons have been used in recent attacks, including a mass shooting at an upscale food court in Tel Aviv in 2016, where four victims were killed.
An Israeli ambulance service said three men suffered gunshot wounds during the attack.
Two of the wounded were identified as Israeli Border Police officers, who later died at the hospital, police said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a meeting of his top security ministers as condemnations against the assault poured in.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, tweeted, “Shocked and horrified by the despicable attack today in Jerusalem. Terrorism must be condemned by all and defeated. We pray for the victims.”
Netanyahu stressed that Friday’s closure was for security reasons and did not represent a change in what is called the “status quo” agreement about the care, custody and access to the religious site.