Steven Erlanger and Greg Myre (New York Times) - A Palestinian suicide bomber exploded Tuesday outside a Netanya shopping mall, killing four women (two were 16 years old) and wounding 90 people. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. A suicide bombing at the mall's entrance in May 2001 killed five Israelis. The bomber was identified as Ahmed Abu Khalil, 18, from a village near Tulkarm on the West Bank, 10 miles east of Netanya. Netanya's mayor, Miriam Fierberg, was a passenger in a car at the intersection at the time of the blast. In a separate incident for which Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, and which a senior Israeli military official said was linked to the suicide bombing, a truck laden with gas canisters exploded just inside the main entrance of Shavei Shomron, a Jewish settlement in the West Bank 20 miles east of Netanya. The Palestinian driver, the only injured, was tied to the truck and was freed from the burning vehicle by Israeli security forces. The blast was apparently detonated by remote control.
2005-07-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive