Several people have been shot dead near a synagogue in East Jerusalem. A suspected perpetrator was killed at the scene of the crime.
According to Israeli media, the attack was carried out as people were leaving the Ateret Avraham synagogue after Friday night prayers.
Police tell the AFP news agency that seven people have been killed, while other news media report six dead. At the same time, the emergency services say that several people were injured and that at least three people were taken to hospital, two of whom were seriously injured.
According to the newspaper Haaretz, the extreme Islamist movement Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it is revenge for the Israeli military operation in the West Bank on Thursday, when nine Palestinians were killed.
The suspected perpetrator has been identified as a 21-year-old man living in the neighborhood of Shuafat in East Jerusalem. According to Israeli media, the man has no previously known connections to terrorist groups.
The man tried to flee the crime scene by car but was shot dead by Israeli police.
TV4 News’ Terese Cristiansson comments on the attack in the player above.