A Palestinian youth was seriously wounded after an attempted suicide bombing backfired today at a bus stop about 20 kilometres southeast of Haifa in the second such attack in 12 hours, Israeli police and medical sources said.
Nobody was else was hurt in the explosion, which occurred at a bus stop at the Megido junction just after 11.30 a.m. (9.30 a.m. Irish time), which is on the main road between the towns of Afula and Hadera.
According to Israel army radio, the 18-year-old Palestinian, whose identity was unknown, was injured when part of the explosives he was wearing on his body exploded, possibly by accident, as he was heading to carry out an attack.
Immediately after the explosion, police officials pronounced the man dead, but as they approached the body, the man began to move, Israeli police sources said.
After the remaining charges were neutralised, the Palestinian was taken to hospital in Afula to the north, the sources said.
Israel army radio, quoting police sources, said the man had suffered internal injuries from the explosion and was being operated on at a hospital in Afula.
The radio report said police believed the man was intending to blow himself up next to two soldiers who were waiting at the bus stop, but they were also looking at the possibility he was on his way to carry out an attack in Afula.
AFP