Police chief: Terrorist came from Jenin area, critically wounded a security guard

The man critically wounded in a terror attack in Tel Aviv was a municipal security guard who together with another officer confronted the assailant, Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai tells reporters at the scene.

The wounded guard is undergoing surgery at a Tel Aviv hospital.

According to Shabtai, the assailant was a 27-year-old Palestinian from the Jenin area who was carrying a “martyrdom” letter. Asked about a potential motive, Shabtai responds that currently the force only knows “he came to be a martyr.”

Shabtai says the two officers saw the suspect and called out to him, but he ignored them. As they got off their motorcycles, he then pulled out a pistol and shot one of the guards, critically wounding him.

The other officer then chased after the attacker and shot him, the police chief adds.

Shabtai says police are looking into whether the suspect had any accomplices, while adding it isn’t yet clear whether the Palestinian had permission to be in Israel.