JERUSALEM — A Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up on Wednesday afternoon and killed two Israeli policemen who had confronted her at a busy intersection in Jerusalem, officials said.
The bomber was wearing a flowing black garment and a head scarf, according to witnesses, and struck at the main crossroads in the French Hill neighborhood, an area hit by several suicide bombings during the past four years.
The Al Aqsa brigades identified the bomber as Zainab Abu Salem, 19, from the Askar refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus
The woman was stopped on the sidewalk by border policemen working from a glass-and-metal guard post near a bus stop.
One witness, Debbie Segal, told Israeli army radio that a policeman called to the woman "and she came to him and made a head gesture, making believe she didn't understand him."
Segal added: "He continued talking to her, and she answered him. She threw her head back and then there was an explosion. A few seconds later, her body burst into flames."
One policeman, Mamoya Tahyo, 20, was killed immediately; the other, Menashe Komami, 19, died in a hospital. At least 16 Israelis were wounded, the police said.
Jerusalem has been hit by more bombings than any other place in Israel, though the explosion on Wednesday marked the first deadly attack in the city since a bus bombing on Feb. 22 killed eight people.
Street life had been returning to normal. By day, shops have been busy, and foreign tourists are again a common sight in the Old City. During the warm nights, young Israelis have been filling up restaurants or hanging out near the city center.
Before the Jewish holy days, which began last week with the New Year, Israel barred Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza from entering Israel. But the explosion Wednesday showed that the border is not airtight.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who received word of the attack during an interview with Israeli television, said Israel would "continue our struggle against terror with all force."
The Palestinian Authority, led by Yasser Arafat, condemned the bombing, saying it opposes attacks against any civilians, Israeli or Palestinian.
Yet Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a faction loyal to Arafat, claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it revenge for Israeli military raids last week that killed members of the group in Nablus and Jenin, in the West Bank.
Contributing: Associated Press.