Suicide bomber dies in Tel Aviv attack

A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded pedestrian mall near Tel Aviv's old central bus station today. Police said at least 10 people were wounded.

A witness, who identified himself only as Itzkik, said he was eating at a fast-food stand when he began suspecting the man standing next to him.

"All of a sudden a policeman came, he pulled him (the suspect) out, and started searching him," he told Israel Radio. The suspect fled, Itzik said, and five minutes later the explosion was heard.

Medics said one person was seriously wounded, and four were in moderate condition.

The blast went off in a pedestrian mall near the old central bus station, an area crowded with shoppers and travelers. The bus station is in a working class neighborhood, where many foreign workers live.

Blood, shattered glass and debris covered the ground near shops. The windows of a parked car near the blast were blown out, and helmeted security forces cordoned off the area.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility by Palestinian militants, but the Islamic Jihad militant group has claimed responsibility for other recent suicide bombings in Israel.

It was the sixth suicide bombing in Israel since a truce took effect last February. On 5 December, a bomber detonated explosives outside a shopping mall in the Israeli coastal town of Netanya, killing five Israelis.