A bomb blast ripped through a bus in Jerusalem yesterday and sparked a fire, wounding at least 21 people, Israeli police said, in an apparent escalation in a wave of violence.
Details were still emerging, but police said a bomb had exploded on one bus in a relatively isolated area of Jerusalem, with the flames spreading to another one as well as a car.
Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet referred to the explosion as a “terror attack”.
The bombing was expected to lead to a sharp increase in security ahead of Jewish Passover celebrations beginning Friday night.
“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,” a police statement.
“In addition, another bus and car were damaged.”
An AFP journalist at the scene said one bus was completely burnt out while another was partially burned, with a large contingent of firefighters battling to extinguish the blaze.
Police said 21 people were injured, with medics reporting at least two hurt seriously. Police were investigating whether any of the wounded were behind the bombing.
Initially police said the explosion was on an empty bus, with people on a bus and car nearby wounded by the ensuing fire, correcting later to say it was the bus with passengers that was hit by the bomb.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “we’ll find whoever prepared this explosive device”.
The blast struck in an area of the city without any major buildings or homes and which is not heavily used by pedestrians.
The location was on Moshe Baram Street close to the so-called Green Line dividing mainly Jewish west Jerusalem from mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat called on residents to be vigilant, “but continue with your plans”.