Israel bus bomb ‘terror’ attack leaves at least 21 injured as three vehicles explode in Jerusalem
Police said a bomb exploded on one bus, sparking a fire that spread to another one as well as a car
A BOMB blast ripped through a bus in Jerusalem today sparking a fire which has left at least 21 people injured, Israeli police say.
Police said a bomb exploded on one bus, sparking a fire that spread to another one as well as a car.
Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet referred to the explosion as a "terror attack".
Authorities confirmed 21 people were injured in the attack, with medics reporting at least two hurt seriously.
A police statement said: “A professional examination of police sappers has proven that a bomb exploded on the back part of the bus, resulting in the wounding of passengers and the burning of the bus.
“In addition, another bus and car were damaged.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "we'll find whoever prepared this explosive device."
"We'll reach the dispatchers and those behind them. We'll settle the score with these terrorists. We're in an ongoing struggle against terror, knife terror, shooting terror, bombs, rockets and tunnel terror."
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, welcomed the attack as "a natural response to Zionist crimes", but there was no claim of responsibility for the bombing.
The bombing was expected to lead to a sharp increase in security ahead of Jewish Passover celebrations beginning Friday night.
The last bomb targeting a bus in Jerusalem dates back to 2011, when a British tourist was killed.