Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday connected a deadly truck ramming in East Jerusalem that left four soldiers dead with similar attacks last year in Europe.

"This is part of the same pattern inspired by Islamic State, that we saw first in France, then in Germany and now in Jerusalem," he said.

While police have not released additional details on the driver's identity other than to confirm that he is a resident of East Jerusalem, Netanyahu said the man was an "Islamic State supporter."

Israeli security teams had closed down Jabel Mukaber, the Palestinian neighbourhood the attacker was from, added Netanyahu. According to local media, several of the driver's family members had been taken into custody.

Netanyahu and Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman had visited the scene under heavy guard ahead of a special Security Cabinet meeting called in light of the attack.

At least four people were killed and 15 injured after a truck swerved into a group of soldiers getting off a bus in East Jerusalem yesterday, according to police.

Three women and one man, all in their 20s, were killed in what police described as a "terrorist attack." In addition, at least 15 people were injured, several critically, according to local hospitals. The attacker was shot and killed by people at the scene.

According to the Times of Israel, the soldiers were in Jerusalem as part of a military initiative bringing troops to see sites of historical and national importance.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat urged residents to remain cautious but said not to let the attack deter them from carrying on as normal.

Police had sealed off the area for investigation as ambulances transported the wounded to hospitals.

Emergency services had to free several people who were trapped under the truck, according to local media. An emergency services worker told Israeli television that it was "the worst attack with a vehicle that we've recently seen in Jerusalem."

Lea Schrieber, a tour guide who witnessed the attack, told The Israel Project organisation she heard shouts and saw the truck go into reverse and hit the group of soldiers a second time.

The Hamas movement praised the attack, calling it proof that the Palestinian uprising was not dead, but did not take credit for it.

The US ambassador to Israel and the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process strongly condemned the attack on Twitter.

There are "absolutely no excuses, no justifications," said UN coordinator Nickolay Mladenov on Twitter shortly after the attack.

The attack comes less than a month after a similar attack in central Berlin, in which a man drove a large articulated truck into a Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring more than 50.

In July, a man drove a cargo truck into a crowd gathered for a parade in Nice, France, killing 86 people.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for both attacks.

- dpa