Three parked buses have exploded in a city in central Israel in what police believe is a suspected terrorist attack.
Devices in two other buses in Bam Yat failed to explode, and a large number of police officers are at the scenes, searching for suspects”, the city’s police force said.
Israeli police said the five unexploded bombs were identical and equipped with timers, and bomb squads were defusing them.
Following the explosions, Israel’s Transport Minister Miri Regev pausedall buses, trains and light rail trains in the country in order for checks for explosive devices could be carried out, according to local media.
The country’s defence minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to intensify operations in the West Bank.
Footage on social media shows one bus on fire in a parking lot, as plume of smoke rising above it.
Police spokesperson Aryeh Doron told Channel 12 the “event is ongoing”, andofficers still trying to locate more bombs in Tel Aviv.
“Our forces are still scouring the area,” adding that the public must be on alert for “every suspected bag or object”.
He said: “We may be lucky if indeed the terrorists set these timers to the wrong hour. But it’s too early to determine.”
Local media reported one of the devices weighed 5kg and carried a message saying “Revenge from Tulkarem” – in reference to a recent Israeli military counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank.
Investigators in white coveralls searched for evidence inside the burned-out metal shells of the busses, which blew up in a parking lot in Bat Yam, a city outside Tel Aviv.
The city’s mayor, Tzvika Brot, said it was a miracle no one was hurt. The buses had been parked after finishing their routes, he said.
The head of the bus company said they immediately ordered all bus drivers to stop and conduct a “thorough inspection.” They resumed their routes once they were found to be safe, Ofir Karni said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he was receiving updates from his military secretary and following the events. The Shin Bet internal security agency was taking over the investigation, police said.
“We need to determine if a single suspect placed explosives on a number of buses, or if there were multiple suspects,” police spokesman Haim Sargrof told Israeli TV.
Sargrof said the explosives used Thursday matched explosives used in the West Bank, but he declined to elaborate.
Israel’s military has repeatedly carried out raids on suspected Palestinian militants in the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack sparked the devastating war in Gaza. As part of that crackdown, Israel has greatly restricted entry into Israel for Palestinians from the occupied territory.
After the buses were targeted, a group identifying itself as a branch of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, from the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, posted on the messaging app Telegram: “We will never forget to take vengeance for our martyrs as long as the occupation is on our lands.”
The group did not claim responsibility for the attack..
Tzvika Brot, the mayor of Bat Yam, urged residents to stick with their routines but also stay vigilant, telling Channel 13 TV that schools will be open Friday and public transport will be operating.
Additional reporting by AP.
Comments
Leave a Comment