One killed, five hurt in Rishon Letzion car bomb

[cal04]

A car bomb exploded in Rishon Letzion around 2 P.M. Friday.

Police said the blast appears to be criminally motivated, and not a terror attack.


One person, apparently the bomber, was killed in the blast. At least five others were wounded in the attack, one moderately and the others lightly.


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/769090.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. According to MSNBC, the driver was the target of the bombing

If this had been a terrorist attack, we would have heard about it by now.

[bemildred]

2. Well, it would be nice to know who the driver pissed off.

Can we mention here that far more Israelis die in traffic accidents and the like than by Palestinian terror strikes?

[eyl]

3. Presumably some figure in Israeli organized crime

The mixture of the situation in Israel, where guns are fairly tightly controlled but there's a widespread military presence, makes explosives rather than guns the weapons of choice in criminal hits.

[bemildred]

4. Thank you.

I suppose you are right, it would not be the first time.

[bemildred]

5. 14 wounded in bomb targeting crime figure in Rishon Letzion

A bomb detonated in the center of Rishon Letzion Friday afternoon killed Yossi Afriat, 43, known as an underworld debt collector. Another 14 people were hurt in the blast, including a baby and a 12-year-old boy on a bicycle - all passersby.

The Central District Police launched an investigation, but a gag order was imposed on reporting details of the case, but the assumption is that Afriat was murdered in connection with his criminal activity.

A powerful explosion shook Rishon Letzion shortly after 1:30 P.M. Friday. The source of the blast was traced to a vehicle standing on the corner of Herzl and Hacarmel streets adjacent to the old winery - a major downtown intersection that was crowded at the time.

The location and nature of the explosion immediately prompted dozens of calls to police to report a terrorist attack, and it took quite a while for the police forces to realize it was not a suicide bomber.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/769328.html