Israel: a bomb exploded in Jerusalem bus leaving more than 20 people wounded

A bus damaged in a bomb attack in Jerusalem
(Image: News Info)

A bomb blast ripped through the bus in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon and sparked a huge fire which damaged two buses and a car and left more than 20 people wounded, according to Israeli police's statement.

There were no exact details immediately after an explosion, but the police stated that a small bomb was the cause of an explosion. Israeli domestic security agency Shin Beyt called the explosion a "terrorist attack".  Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat also confirmed there was a bomb and called on the citizens to be vigilant but "continue with your plans".

The Monday bus bombing was expected to lead to the sharp increase of security measures in Israeli cities ahead of the Jewish Passover celebrations that will begin this Friday.

The authorities also stated that the bomb exploded in the back part of the bus and damaged also another bus that was driving close. In addition to that the fire affected a private car.

At least 21 people were wounded as a result of an attack and transferred to several Jerusalem hospitals for treatment. Medics report that two of the wounded were in a critical condition. Police also continues searching for the possible culprits of an attack among the wounded.

The attack occurred in an area of the city which is not heavily populated or popular among the people, and there are also not so much buildings in this area as well. The location of the explosion site is close to the so called Green Line that divides West Jerusalem, mostly Jewish, and East Jerusalem, mostly Palestinian.

There is no group or organization that claimed responsibility for the blast yet, and investigation is ongoing.

Last time a bomb exploded in the bus in Jerusalem was in 2011, when a British tourist was killed as a result of that explosion. In 2013 a bomb exploded in an empty bus in Tel Aviv. Suicide bombings and attacks of the public transportation were extremely frequent during the Second Palestinian Intifada in 2000-2005.