Three Palestinians killed after attacking Israeli officers

Israeli policemen secure the scene of the shooting and stabbing attack outside Damascus gate in Jerusalem's old city June 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Israeli policemen secure the scene of the shooting and stabbing attack outside Damascus gate in Jerusalem's old city June 16, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli security forces shot dead three Palestinians who carried out shooting and stabbing attacks that critically injured an Israeli border policewoman in Jerusalem on Friday, police said.

The attacks occurred simultaneously in two areas near the Damascus gate of Jerusalem’s walled old city.

At one scene, two Palestinians were shot and killed after opening fire at and trying to stab a group of Israeli police officers, police said. At the other, a Palestinian stabbed a border policewoman, critically wounding her, before being shot dead by police.

A second Israeli officer was also injured in the attacks.

A wave of Palestinian street attacks began in October 2015 but has since slowed. Israel blames the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership.

The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that and says assailants have acted out of frustration over Israeli occupation of land sought by Palestinians in peace talks that have been stalled since 2014.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

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