A suicide bomber on Sunday morning detonated himself near the central bus station at the Israeli southern city of Be'er Sheva. Reports indicated at least 50 people were wounded. Two of those hurt - the security guards - were in serious condition.
According to Israel's Channel 2 TV, the bomber had aroused the suspicions of one bus driver, who alerted the security guards that pursued the attacker until he set off the bomb.
Following the attack, large police and rescue forces were dispatched to the scene. Meanwhile, Israeli police forces sealed off the exits from Be'er Sheva and were in search of suspects, Ynetnews reported.
On his part, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in a statement cited by WAFA, condemned Sunday's suicide bomb attack as an act of "terrorism" innocent civilians. He called all Palestinian factions to adhere to the period of calm despite the ongoing Israeli provocations.
Last week, Palestinian groups vowed to avenge the death of five Palestinians in an Israeli operation in the West Bank town of Tulkarem. Khaled al-Batch, an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza Strip, said he did not know who was behind the attack, "But it came as a natural reaction to the occupation crimes," he said. "It is our right to retaliate."
