Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A woman was killed and tens of people were hurt (one seriously) after a suicide bomber blew himself up in a shopping mall in the southern Israeli town of Dimona, home to Israel’s nuclear reactor. Police said there were two attackers, but only one managed to detonate his explosives belt. The second suicide attacker was shot dead by a police officer at the scene. It is excluded that the nuclear reactor was the target of the attackers.
Today’s attack was claimed by the “Army of Palestine” wing of Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
It was the first suicide attack in Israel in just over a year; the last took place in January 2007.
In Israel many now fear that more terrorist attacks might follow as a result of the opening of the Gaza-Egypt border even though the claim of responsibility might point in a different direction.
Still “it seems that the next attack, kidnapping or suicide bombing carried out by a Palestinian group against Israelis, in Sinai or the southern Negev, is just a matter of time”’ writes Israeli daily Haaretz.
“With the border remaining completely open for 12 days, it is difficult to estimate the amount of arms and munitions that were brought into the Strip,” it further said.