Hamas claimed responsibility for a car-ramming attack in Jerusalem that injured 14 people, including a baby who is still in critical condition.

The attacker – named by police as 21-year-old Abed el-Muhsen Hassuna – drove his car onto the pavement on Monday, smashing into pedestrians including an 18 month-old boy and 70 year-old woman, waiting at a bus stop close to the Chords Bridge and near the capital’s central bus station. He was shot dead at the scene by a member of the security forces, a security guard and an armed civilian who saw the attack.

An axe was found in the boot of his car, police said.

Jerusalem District Police Chief Moshe Edri hailed the three shooters who brought the incident to an end: “Their quick and accurate action, which neutralized the terrorist, prevented a more serious attack.”

Paramedic Masha Eichel described the scene: “We were standing on the other side of the street when I heard gunfire and immediately rushed across. I saw a car on the sidewalk right next to the bus stop; several people were lying on the ground bleeding.”

After the attack on Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting with Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz where he is reported to have ordered protective barriers to be installed at hundreds of Jerusalem bus stops.

Mr Barkat said the municipality has put together a plan to fortify hundreds of stops in “high-risk” areas in the city and said the plan could be implemented in a month’s time, at a cost of about two million shekels.