An Israeli Arab, Nashat Melhem who is wanted for shooting dead three people in Tel Aviv on 1 January has been killed by Israeli police.
He was tracked down to a mosque in his home town of Arara in northern Israel on Friday and killed in a gun battle.
The police said the officers from the Special Anti-Terror Unit closed in on the building where Melhem was hiding. When he stepped out and intuitively tried to escape. By seeing the police Melhem opened fire at the officers, using the same type of gun which he used in the Tel Aviv shooting. Officers also returned fire, killing Melhem instantly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the security forces, for their hard work, who he said had “worked tirelessly, methodically and professionally to locate and eliminate the terrorist”.
Melhem’s father a volunteer for Israeli police recognized his son in surveillance video of the attack broadcast by Israeli media and immediately contacted authorities.
Two people were killed on the spot .Alon Bakal, 26, who was a manager at the bar, and Shimon Ruimi, 30, Amin Shaban a taxi driver died after being found critically injured in the north of the city shortly after the shootings.