Palestinians revert to bus bomb attacks. Bat Yam bus cleared in time to avert casualties

A medium-sized bomb exploded Sunday on a Dan No. 240 bus in Bat Yam on the outskirts of Tel Aviv in what the police believe is a fresh outbreak of Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli civilian transport. The medium-sized bomb hidden in a bag blew up on the bus as it reached the corner of Mivtzai Sinai and Katzenelson Streets. A passenger who spotted an unattended bag which contained what looked like a pressure cooker with wires, a familiar contrivance from many past attacks, alerted the driver who pulled over, cleared the bus of passengers and called the police just in time.

A police sapper was slightly hurt by the blast which blew out all the bus’s windows. 

Reinforcements were rushed to the scene, a cordon placed around the bus and householders along the streets were alerted..

Police judging the incident to be terror-related for a multiple-casualty attack have thrown out a dragnet for the terrorist. The public is asked 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.
debkafile: After the Bat Yam bombing, it will be harder than ever for the authorities to continue maintainiing that the recent surge of Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets are solo operations rather than a planned campaign by a terrorist organization.