Palestinian in ‘suicide vest’ killed after stabbing Israeli police
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: A Palestinian died Friday after he was shot as he stabbed an Israeli border guard while wearing a suspected suicide vest, amid fresh protests against the US recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Mohammed Aqal, 29, attacked a border police officer at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank while wearing what appeared to be a suicide vest, before being shot three times by police.
He was taken to hospital but died of his wounds hours later, the Palestinian health ministry said.
AFP photos taken in the wake of the attack showed the wounded assailant wearing what looked like a suicide vest, though it was unclear whether it was operational.
A video posted online showed the border police officers shooting him three times.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement the attacker stabbed an officer twice before being shot.
The statement said police had launched an investigation “looking into reports that the suspect had an explosive device on him or a fake explosive device”.
It said police were also investigating “if the suspect was dressed as a journalist”, enabling him to get close to the officers.
The pictures did not show him wearing a press vest.
On Friday, three other Palestinian men were also killed in violent clashes with the Israeli forces over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. — AFP