Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire in central Tel Aviv Wednesday night, killing three people and wounding at least five others, Israel police said.
Tel Aviv district police commander Moshe Edri said there was shooting in two locations close to the popular open-air Sharona market
“This was a harsh terror attack. Two terrorists opened fire at civilians,” Edri said, adding that both attackers were detained and one was being treated for a gunfire wound.
Police had initially said there might be a third attacker but later ruled that out.
Meital Sassi told Channel 10 TV she was out with her family celebrating her son’s birthday when she heard shots and “immediately understood it was a terror attack.”
“We ran like lighting with the baby and the stroller,” she said. “I yelled at people who didn’t understand what was happening to run.”
Police said the two gunmen were members of the same family from the Palestinian village of Yatta, near the West Bank town of Hebron, which has been a flashpoint for violence during a recent wave of unrest.
Israel has been struggling to cope with eight months of Palestinian attacks, mostly stabbings, that have killed 31 Israelis and two Americans. About 200 Palestinians have been killed during that time, most identified as attackers by Israel.
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