Tel Aviv, Jun 9 (IANS): Four persons were killed on Wednesday night when two attackers identified as Palestinian militants opened fire at a popular food and shopping complex near the Israeli Defense Ministry in capital Tel Aviv.

The attackers were captured, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, with one shot and the second arrested at the upscale Sarona market, CNN reported.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called "a savage crime, murder in the heart of Tel Aviv".

"We will take the necessary steps to attack the attackers and defend those who need to be defended," he said.

Surveillance footage from a cafe near the shooting scene showed chaos as panicked customers knocked over chairs and tables as they rushed to escape. People crawled across the floor and others carried children in their arms.

Amir Ohana, a member of the Israeli Parliament who was at Sarona market, told CNN that people were enjoying a serene night when violence erupted.

"People were having coffee," he said, adding "I saw a birthday cake on one of the tables. And then you see the chairs upside down and glass shattered and blood all over."

The four victims were Israeli citizens, Rosenfeld said.