Two killed, six injured in Tel Aviv shooting attack

Two people were killed and six others injured in a shooting attack in central Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon, Israeli police said.

A man opened automatic fire at a bar on Dizengoff Street in central Tel Aviv, then managed to escape from the scene. Large police forces are currently canvassing the nearby streets in search of the perpetrator, Xinhua reported.

Other than the two killed victims, two people suffered serious wounds, while three others were moderately wounded. One person was lightly wounded. They were evacuated to the Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv and Belinson hospital in Petah Tikva, 10 km east of the city.

Hilla Hemo, a spokeswoman for the Tel Aviv police district, told Xinhua that all motives were being examined and it was not clear whether the incident was related to the ongoing wave of violence between Palestinians and Israelis, in which 23 Israelis were killed in shooting, vehicular or stabbing attacks.

The spokeswoman added that as of now there are no instructions banning residents of the area from leaving their houses.