Two staff members of Israel’s embassy in the United States have been shot dead, US authorities have said.

The embassy workers were fatally shot on Wednesday outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, according to authorities.

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US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the staff had been “senselessly killed” in an attack near the museum.

“We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share,” Noem said in a statement.

“Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”

The American Jewish Committee, which had hosted an event at the museum, said it was “devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue”.

“At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families,” the organisation said.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said she was at the scene of the shooting and was “praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more”.

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, called the shooting a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”

Police have not provided details about a suspect or motive in the attack.

More to come…