Police said Thursday that a dog-carriage was attacked on a bicycle path in the Old City, a few meters from the city’s most famous synagogue.
The incident took place on a stretch of the Jerusalem Boulevard that runs parallel to the Western Wall, a Jewish holy site that has been a focal point of tensions in the region.
The police said a “terrible accident” took place in front of the Jewish Quarter of the Old Port, where the dog-riding incident took its turn.
The dog-carrying group was reportedly attacked by two young men and sustained injuries, according to police.
The group’s driver was treated and released from the hospital.
“They were very angry with the police and were throwing rocks at them,” said a witness, who asked not to be named.
“The police arrived and they told them they would shoot at them, but the group was not following orders,” the witness said.
“It’s a horrible thing to witness.”
The police are looking for the suspects.
“There is no other way to say it,” a police spokesman told the Associated Press news agency.
The city’s main synagogue has been the scene of several violent clashes between Israeli Arabs and Jewish Israelis in recent months, with attacks on Jews and police, and the wounding of several Israeli Arabs.
The violence in the Jewish quarter, which sits on a roughly 3-kilometer (1.5-mile) stretch of road between Jerusalem and the West Bank, has intensified amid tensions in Jerusalem between Arab and Jewish settlers and Palestinians.
At least three Israelis and a Palestinian have been killed by Palestinian assailants in clashes since July.
The latest attack came a day after the Palestinian leader of the Israeli opposition, Isaac Herzog, called for a day of mourning for the dog rider, who is currently undergoing surgery for injuries.