Three Israeli border guards shot dead at the Allenby border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan

Three Israeli border guards were killed in a shootout at the Allenby crossing on the border between the occupied West Bank and Jordan, Israeli emergency services said on Sunday.

The Israel Airports Authority, which operates the border terminal at the Allenby border crossing with Jordan, told CNN that the three deceased men worked at the border crossing.

The identity of the attacker is currently unknown. The Jordanian Interior Ministry said it had launched an investigation.

Border crossing manager Alex Chen said the gunman was a Jordanian driver, adding that the border crossing was closed until further notice. “The terrorist shot three Allenby Terminal employees at close range” before being killed by a security guard, he said.

All three land crossings between Israel and Jordan were closed after the attack, the Israeli airport authority said. The Allenby border crossing serves mainly Palestinians and foreigners; Israelis are prohibited from using it.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that “a terrorist coming from Jordan arrived in the area of ​​the Allenby Bridge in a truck, got out and opened fire on Israeli security forces operating at the bridge.”

“Three Israeli civilians were declared dead in the attack,” the Israeli army said, adding that the attacker was shot dead. The Israeli army also released a photo of the handgun allegedly used in the attack.

Israeli police spoke of “several victims at the scene” and also said the shooter had been “neutralized.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the shooting and said the border guards were murdered by a “despicable terrorist”.

At the start of the weekly government meeting, Netanyahu said Israel was “surrounded by a murderous ideology led by the Iranian axis of evil.”

Sunday's incident came nearly two weeks after the Israeli military launched one of its most extensive operations in the West Bank in years, carrying out raids, the demolition of highways and airstrikes in several parts of the occupied territory.

Since Israel began its war in the Gaza Strip on October 7 in response to Hamas's attack on southern Israel, clashes have become more frequent in the West Bank.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah, Israeli troops and settlers have killed nearly 700 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since October. The figures do not distinguish between militants and civilians.

Jordan was the second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. It sharply criticized Israeli military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Jordan is a close ally of the United States and receives significant military aid from them.

For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com