Casualties averted in bus bomb explosion outside Tel Aviv

A medium-sized bomb exploded Sunday on a Dan No. 240 bus on the corner of Mivtzai Sinai and Katzenelson Streets in Bat Yam, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. A passenger who spotted a suspicious bag alerted the driver who stopped the bus, told the passengers to disembark and called the police. A bomb expert who tried to defuse the bomb was slightly hurt by the explosion shortly after. A cordon was placed around the bus and householders along the streets alerted.  Police judging the incident to be terror-related call on the public to be vigilant and refer any suspicious circumstances to the authorities without delay.

The last public transport bombing occurred in November last year, when a blast hit a crowded commuter bus as it passed the Israeli defense ministry in Tel Aviv during rush hour, injuring 21 people.

In 2011 an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem ripped through a bus, killing a British tourist and wounding 30 other people.