JERUSALEM: A gunman opened fire on Israeli police in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday, before being chased down by officers who shot him dead, police said.
“The suspect reached Huta gate (near the Al-Aqsa mosque compound) and shot at the police position with an (assault) rifle,” a police statement said.
“The officers went in pursuit after the terrorist while shooting at him,” the statement added, with a spokesman confirming to AFP the suspect had been killed.
One police officer was lightly wounded when he fell during the chase, the statement said.
The police spokesman could not provide details on the assailant’s identity.
Similar past attacks have been carried out by Palestinians from Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, as well as by Arab Israelis.
From October 2015, Israel and the West Bank saw a wave of “lone wolf” attacks on Israelis by predominantly young, knife-wielding Palestinians.
Car-ramming attacks were also used, and more rarely, firearms. The attacks have become less frequent but have not stopped altogether.
Israel annexed east Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, following the 1967 Six-Day War, in a move not recognized by most of the international community.
Gunman fires at Israeli officers in Jerusalem’s Old City, is shot dead
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Gunman fires at Israeli officers in Jerusalem’s Old City, is shot dead
Iraqi lawmakers to elect president Tuesday, PM appointment next
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s parliament will meet on Tuesday to elect the country’s new president, who will then appoint a prime minister expected to be Nouri Al-Maliki after he was endorsed by the largest Shiite bloc.
By convention, a Shiite Muslim holds the post of prime minister, the parliament speaker is Sunni and the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.
Parliamentary speaker Haibat Al-Halbussi announced on Sunday that the new parliament will convene on Tuesday to elect a president, according to the official INA press agency.
The president will then have 15 days to appoint a prime minister, who is usually nominated by the largest Shiite bloc formed through post-election alliances.
On Saturday, the Coordination Framework alliance — whose Shiiite factions have varying links to Iran — endorsed former prime minister and powerbroker Al-Maliki as the country’s next premier.
The alliance, to which Al-Maliki belongs, spoke of his “political and administrative experience and his record in running the state.”
Kurdish parties have yet to agree on a presidential candidate, who must be endorsed by other blocs and win a two-thirds majority in parliament.
The presidency is usually held by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). This year, the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) named its own candidate: Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.
Although Maliki’s endorsement effectively guarantees him the post, forming a new government remains a daunting challenge that could drag on for months and still fail.
The designated premier has one month to form a government and present it to parliament for a vote of confidence.
The 75-year-old Maliki, a shrewd politician, is set to return to power at a time of seismic changes in the Middle East, as Tehran’s regional influence wanes and tensions with Washington rise.
Government formation in Iraq must balance internal political dynamics and power-sharing among major parties, all under the continued influence of Iraq’s two main allies: Iran and the United States.
A close Iran ally, Al-Maliki will be expected to address Washington’s longstanding demand that Baghdad dismantle Tehran-backed factions, many of which are designated terrorist groups by the US.
Last month, Iraqi officials and diplomats told AFP that Washington demanded the eventual government exclude Iran-backed armed groups, even though most of them hold seats in parliament, and have seen their political and financial clout increase.
But Iraq is struggling with weak economic growth and cannot risk punitive measures by the US, which has already sanctioned several Iraqi entities, accusing them of helping Tehran evade sanctions.
