Tel Aviv bar shooting leaves at least 2 dead

A shooter has opened fire in downtown Tel Aviv, killing two Israelis and wounding others, hospital officials said. Special forces are searching for the person responsible.

According to sources, two of the injured were in serious condition and three were stated to be out of danger, Haaretz daily reported.

Shocked Tel Aviv veterans report they had never before seen a large pack of civilians and police running down a main city street with drawn guns.

“It’s not clear what the background of the incident is, if it’s a terrorist attack or if it’s criminal-related”, Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, told the BBC.

Security camera footage aired on Israel’s Channel 10 television showed the assailant, who appeared to be in his mid-to-late 20s and wore protective eyeglasses and a windbreaker, browsing dried fruit at a delicatessen on Dizengoff Street.

We’ll update with more details as they become available.

A woman sits with her dog after being questioned by police at the scene of a shooting incident in Tel Aviv, Israel January 1, 2016.

It was not immediately clear what motivated the shooting, which follows a wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis over the past few months.

The attack took place Friday afternoon in Tel Aviv, located on Israel’s Mediterranean shore. The others died in clashes with security forces.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai visited the wounded in hospital and said he spoke with those who were able to talk.

At least 131 Palestinians have also been killed.

CCTV cameras captured the moment the gunman opened fire.