Suicide bomber injures three in Israel

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a bus stop in northern Israel today, killing himself and injuring at least three people.

It was the first suicide attack in Israel in six weeks.

The blast went off during afternoon rush hour near the Israeli Arab town of Umm el-Fahm.

Witness Mohammed Akbariyeh said he was sitting in a restaurant near the bus stop when the blast went off.

“Suddenly, we heard a huge explosion. The ground just flew upward. We ran to the spot. We saw a police car which had been damaged from the rear.

One policeman wounded and another man also wounded. The body of the terrorist was simply cut in two,” Akbariyeh said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

David Baker, an official in Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s office, said that “Palestinian terrorists have once again set out on a bloodletting of the Israeli public.”

It was the first suicide attack since August 4 when a bomber blew himself up on a bus, killing himself and nine Israelis.