2 killed in Tel Aviv shooting attack

Jerusalem, Aug 6

An Israeli security guard and an assailant identified as a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group were killed in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv.

The victim was a 42-year-old municipal security guard who noticed and called out to the suspicious individual before being shot and critically wounded, Israeli police chief Kobi Shabtai told reporters at the scene on Saturday.

The Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv announced his death later in the evening, Xinhua news agency reported.

The assailant was from the West Bank city of Jenin, said Shabtai, adding that a letter was found on the assailant, in which he said his aim was to carry out a "martyrdom" attack against Israelis. He was identified as a PIJ member, the Shin Bet security agency was quoted by local media as saying.

The gunman was shot by another security officer at the scene before being rushed to the same hospital and succumbed to his injuries.

"Significant police forces are present at the scene and are managing the situation," read a police statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised security patrol for "thwarting a much more serious attack," his office said in a statement.

Earlier Saturday, Israeli authorities arrested two Jewish settlers suspected of being involved in the killing of a Palestinian civilian in the West Bank on Friday.