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Police shoot Israeli at Jerusalem holy wall

Israel Materials 21 June 2013 11:43 (UTC +04:00)
A security guard has shot and killed an Israeli man at one of Judaism's holiest sites in Jerusalem, the Western Wall, which was immediately shut to visitors
Police shoot Israeli at Jerusalem holy wall

A security guard has shot and killed an Israeli man at one of Judaism's holiest sites in Jerusalem, the Western Wall, which was immediately shut to visitors, police said, Al Jazeera reported.

The guard opened fire on Friday after the man, in an adjacent restroom, was heard shouting "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is greatest", police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Rosenfeld said the guard opened fire with his pistol because he suspected the man was a Palestinian fighter.

"The fact he shouted Allahu Akbar, that seems to be why the security guard drew his weapon and fired a number of shots at him," he said.

The incident occurred in one of Jerusalem's most sensitive areas, where thousands of people worship each week.

The plaza where the wall is located is next to the Temple Mount, revered by Jews as the place where two biblical temples stood, and the site of Islam's third holiest mosque, al-Aqsa.

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