16 wounded in Jerusalem bus bomb attack

Sixteen people were wounded in an explosion on Monday, which hit Egged bus line 12 on Derekh Hevron and Moshe Baram Street in the southeast of Jerusalem, not far from Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.

Police later confirmed it was indeed a bombing attack, in apparently the first bus bombing of the current\  terror wave, although they have yet to specifically define it as an act of terror.

Large Magen David Adom (MDA) and police forces rushed to the site. Police say 21 people were wounded in the attack, apparently 16 of them with physical wounds and the rest suffering from shock. At least two were seriously wounded and seven were moderately wounded, with the rest lightly wounded. Rescue forces evacuated the wounded to the hospital. 

One of the wounded reportedly is in critical condition. Police estimate that the seriously wounded individual likely was the terrorist who planted the bomb. No identifying document has been found on him, and no one has come to ask regarding his well-being, strengthening those suspicions.

Police backtracked on their initial declaration according to which the blast was a terror attack, before later clarifying that an explosive had been planted on the bus, causing the explosion.

The police hesitation was cleared up by the director of the emergency care unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem where the wounded were treated, who estimated that it was indeed an attack.

"Some of the wounds of the victims who arrived to us are from nails and bolts that penetrated their bodies. It gives the impression of wounds from a terror attack," determined the doctor.

Jerusalem district police initially confirmed that the 12 line bus was targeted, and said it was hit by an explosive or suicide bomber who detonated inside the bus.

Police afterwards said they had not yet completely determined that the incident was a terror attack. That about-face came after it was found that in the incident a bus empty of passengers exploded and an adjacent bus with passengers on board as well as a private car took the impact, with the injuries occurring on the second bus and car.

Police: It was a bomb

Police later announced that an explosive was indeed behind the blast, and that the bomb was placed in the rear of the empty bus.

The police statement added that they continue to check the motives behind the bombing - even though it comes in the midst of an Arab terror wave that has cost the lives of 34 victims since last September.

According to witnesses a large explosion rocked the bus which then became quickly engulfed in flames.

Before police announced an explosive had caused the blast, police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld gave Arutz Sheva a briefing at the scene.

Israeli Police Briefing on Bus Explosion

צילום: מד"א ירושלים

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