Two employees of the Israeli Embassy were shot dead in the US capital Washington DC. The incident took place outside the Jewish Museum at around 9:05 pm on Wednesday night (6:35 am on Thursday according to Indian time).
Both of them were shot after coming out of an event held at the Capital Jewish Museum. This is an area where there are many tourist places, museums and government buildings. This also includes the FBI field office.
Sources have said that the way the attack happened seems to be a well-planned one. Reports have revealed that at the time of the firing, many employees of the Israeli Embassy were present at a museum event.
According to the Times of Israel, the assialant shot both of them from close range while shouting 'Free Palestine'. The deceased include a man and a woman. The Israeli Embassy spokesperson said that both of them had recently got engaged and were going to get married soon.
The police have arrested the accused. He has been identified as Elias Rodriguez. He is 30 years old. He is a resident of Chicago. During the arrest, he was shouting slogans to free Palestine.
Targeted killing
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that this is a targeted killing. The incident is currently under investigation and more information will be shared soon. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force has started investigating this incident.
"We are actively investigating and working to gather information on the incident. Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring the perpetrator to justice," Noem wrote on Twitter.
Attack on the entire Jewish community
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations called the incident an "act of anti-Semitic terrorism."
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has described this attack as anti-Semitic terrorism. He said that this is an attack on the entire Jewish community. He appealed to the US to take strict action against the culprits.
The spokesperson of the Israeli embassy said that both the employees were attending a Jewish program, when they were shot from close range. Israel's ambassador to the US was not present there during this time.
The police have advised people to stay away from the area where this attack took place. However, the FBI has said that the situation is under control right now.
FBI Chief Kash Patel said- I and my team have been informed about this incident. We are working on it. We will give you more information about this soon.
Prakash Kumar Pandey