Suicide Bomber Destroys Israeli Club
Blast Kills More Than 15, Wounds at Least 60
By EITAN HESS-ASHKENAZI
.c The Associated Press
RISHON LETZION, Israel (May 7) - A suicide attack shattered a pool hall in this Israeli city late Tuesday, killing more than 15 people and wounding at least 60, police said.
The explosion occurred at 11:03 p.m., as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was meeting in Washington with President Bush.
A police spokesman told Israel TV at least 15 people were killed in the attack 10 miles south of Tel Aviv.
Al Manar TV in Lebanon said it received a claim of responsibility from the Islamic militant group Hamas.
But Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Zahar said from his home in Gaza City that he could not confirm the claim, but ''if it is a martyrdom operation, it means that Israel has lost its war against the Palestinians and the Palestinian resistance has proved that it is capable of reaching the enemy everywhere.''
Since the current round of Israeli-Palestinian violence erupted in September 2000, there have been nearly 60 suicide bombings. A suicide attack on March 27 that killed 28 people set off Israel's large-scale military operation in the West Bank two days later, aimed at uprooting what the Israelis called the ''terrorist infrastructure.''
The last suicide attack came on April 12 when a bomber blew herself up at a bus stop in Jerusalem, killing six people. That attack came with Secretary of State Colin Powell in the region tying to arrange an end to the violence.
David Baker, an official at the prime minister's office, called Tuesday night's explosion ''another murderous attack against Israelis.''
''It is clear that the Palestinian Authority has not given up its terror actions and has not given up its murderous path,'' he said.
The blast went off at a three-story building in the heart of the industrial section of Rishon Letzion, a city that is home to some 100,000 people. Part of the ceiling on the top floor collapsed. A b sign outside read ''Sheffield Club, snooker, cafeteria.''
Meir Nitzan, the mayor of Rishon Letzion, said more than 60 people had been taken to hospitals.
Yeruham Mandola, a spokesman with the Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom, said part of the three-story building had collapsed. ''Some of the wounded are trapped in the building,'' he said.
Yeruham Mandola, a spokesman with the Israeli ambulance service Magen David Adom, said part of the three-story building had collapsed.
''Some of the wounded are trapped in the building,'' Mandola said.
An Israeli woman identified on Israel Radio as Hanit Azulai said she was on her way home when she heard ''a huge explosion.''
'' I turned the corner and I saw the whole building go up before my eyes.''
An Israeli man who gave his first name as Oren told the radio that he was near the scene at the time of the explosion. ''I just ran away from there. I don't know if it's a terror attack,'' he said.
AP-NY-05-07-02 1742EDT
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. |
