Blair guard fires gun at Israel airport

TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- One of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's bodyguards triggered a security scare at an Israeli airport when he accidentally fired his handgun.

Israeli police hurried Blair to his plane after the gun went off, The Daily Telegraph reported. He did not hear the shot.

Blair is now the chief envoy for the Quartet, the combination of the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, that is trying to negotiate a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The gunfire occurred as Blair was leaving Tel Aviv after spending several days in Egypt and Israel.

The Israeli Airports Authority is investigating the incident. The BBC reported that the gun discharged accidentally as the bodyguard unloaded it.

There have been other security scares, including one earlier this year when Israeli fighter jets were scrambled after Blair's jet failed to give complete identification. In June, an Israeli security officer shot himself at the airport while French President Nicolas Sarkozy was departing.

In September, a Blair bodyguard left a weapon in the men's room at a London Starbucks.