TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Israeli police said a bomb that exploded in an empty bus in Bat Yam Sunday afternoon, lightly injuring a policeman, was the work of terrorists.
The bus driver pulled the vehicle to the road side and ordered everyone to get off after a passenger alerted him of a suspicious bag with protruding wires in the rear of the bus. The device exploded minutes later as the bomb squad inspected its contents. A policeman was lightly injured in the blast.
"After examining the explosives retrieved from the scene, we have concluded that this was a terrorist attack," police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said.
Yitzhak Aharonovitch, the minister of internal security, called on the public to remain alert, the Israeli daily Maariv reported.
"It is our understanding the incident was a nationalistic one. I call on the public to remain alert," he said.
Hamas official Moshir al-Masri, praised the bomb attack and said it proves Palestinian resistance has the ability to reach the depth of Israel, Ynetnews.com said. "It would be best if Israel would come to understand that it will know no stability as long as the Palestinians live in instability."
