By Joseph Johns | Echo
On Monday night, for the first time since 2011, a bus bombing occurred in Jerusalem. The attack took place in an isolated area in the south of the city, according to The Daily Mail. Bus bombings often occurred during the Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, of the early 2000s, but have been rare since. Israel has seen an increased level of violence since October of last year.
The Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet remarked that the bus frames were still intact, which shows that the payload was lower than that used in the Intifadas.
There have not been any confirmed casualties in this incident, although 21 people were injured, with two in critical condition, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, condemned the attack and promised to "settle accounts with these terrorists."
This explosion came right after Netanyahu declared that terrorism has been declining in Israel due to his "aggressive, responsible and systematic policy" regarding national security.
No one has yet claimed direct responsibility for the attack. The Palestinian Territory group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel, commented after the bombings that this was a "natural reaction to Israeli crimes."
The BBC reported that the Israeli bomb disposal experts think the bomb was set off in the back of the first bus, which caused fire to spread to a private car and another bus directly behind the initially affected bus.
