Palestinian gunmen shot dead at Jerusalem's Temple MountÂ
Three Palestinian gunmen have been shot dead by Israeli security forces after opening fire near Jerusalem's holiest site.
The attackers killed two Israeli police and wounded one more after opening fire near Lion's Gate, one of the entrances to the walled Old City, on Friday morning.
The men then fled to the holy site known in Judaism as Temple Mount where they were filmed being shot dead by Israeli security forces.
One video shows Israeli police surrounding a man who is laid out on the floor before he jumps up and launches a fresh assault.
Three Palestinian gunmen were shot dead at the holy site known in Judaism as Temple Mount on Friday, as video emerged showing one of the men playing dead (left) before jumping up (right) in order to continue his attackÂ
Video shows the man running at officers who surround him (left image, far right aiming a kick at officers) before being cut down in a hail of gunfire (right image, on the floor.) Three Israeli police were wounded in the attack, two of them critically
He is shot several times by the Israelis before dropping to the floor, where he is peppered with bullets.
The man filming the video can be heard shouting Allah Akbar - God is greatest - before the footage cuts out.
Two rifles, a hand gun and a knife were found on the bodies of the attackers.
Police are probing how the assailants were able to approach the Old City with weapons. Heavy security is in place in the area, particularly on Fridays, and young Palestinian men are frequently stopped and checked by police.Â
Three Palestinian gunmen were shot dead at the site known in Judaism as Temple Mount on Friday morning after opening fire on Israeli police
While knife attacks inside Jerusalem's Old City are not uncommon, gun attacks - particularly at the city's holiest site - are unusual and likely to inflame regional tensions
A wounded Israeli policeman is taken to an ambulance after the attack on Friday morning
It was the latest bloodshed in a wave of Palestinian attacks that erupted in 2015, in part over the Jerusalem holy site.
In that time, Palestinian attackers have killed 43 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist in stabbings, shootings and attacks using cars to ram into troops or civilians.
During that period, Israeli forces have killed more than 254 Palestinians, most of them said by Israel to be attackers while others were killed in clashes.Â
Clashes between Palestinians and Israelis, particularly in the Old City, are not uncommon, though typically involve knives rather than guns.
Police opening fire at the site - the holiest in Judaism and third-holiest in Islam, after Mecca an d Medina - is highly unusual and likely to significantly heighten tensions.
The holy site was closed after the attack and will remain closed for Muslim prayers through Friday, which is only the third time that has happened since Israel's capture of east Jerusalem since 1967
The site houses the Dome of the Rock (right) and the Aqsa Mosque, and is located adjacent to the Western Wall (left), the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray
Police said the site was cleared of people after the attack and will be closed for prayers Friday - the highlight of the Muslim religious week.
It typically draws tens of thousands of worshippers who flock to the compound from Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
It marked only the third time since Israel's capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war that authorities ordered the Muslim-administered compound closed, said Ikrema Sabri, a prayer leader at the holy site.
Tensions are often high around the marble-and-stone compound that houses the Aqsa Mosque and the golden Dome of the Rock.Â
It is managed by J ordanian authorities and is adjacent to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews are permitted to pray.Â
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