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Breaking News

Suicide Bombing at Shopping Mall in Israel

Aired November 04, 2002 - 12:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A breaking story this hour from Israel. Police say there has been an explosion at a shopping mall in a town just north of Tel Aviv. For the latest, let's go to CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna. He is standing by with details.
Mike, what's going on?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, police have confirmed there was an explosion in a shopping mall in Carsada (ph). This an open shopping mall. According to eyewitnesses, a man detonated an explosive device outside an electrical shop. The man who detonated the explosive device is dead. Police have confirmed that one bystander was killed in the blast.

Fifteen people have been injured according to hospital authorities. The majority of them receiving light injuries in this blast, but police confirming one bystander killed, also dead in the blast, the man that they believe detonated the explosive device, the suicide bomber -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This ones a suburb, this is a suburb of Tel Aviv, a very heavily populated area. Is anyone claiming responsibility yet for this latest attack?

HANNA: No claim of responsibility as yet, Wolf. And yes, it's a heavy populated area. At the time, the blast went off, shortly after 6:00 local time in the evening, there would have been a lot of people in that mall. Now that is actually an open mall. This is not one of the closed-in shopping malls, so very easy for anybody, or easier for people to gain access, those who want to carry out attacks, a large number of entrances on to the street surround that mall.

Also not to mention that within the last 24 hours, Israeli police say they intercepted a suicide bomber on his way from the West Bank into Israel. They arrested him, they also arrested the man they said was a handler. So in a way, as has always been the case, continual security alert, and in this case, apparently a suicide bomber getting through. The damage relatively limited it would appear. One person dead, one bystander killed say Israeli police. A number of people injured, but most of those people injured receiving light injuries, although hospital authorities tell us there is at least one other serious injury resulting out of this blast.

But in terms of recent events, the blast perhaps dissipating in an open-air shopping mall. The reason for the relatively low number of fatalities not that clear, but one person dead, to repeat. The other person dead, the man that police believe was a suicide bomber -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired November 4, 2002 - 12:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A breaking story this hour from Israel. Police say there has been an explosion at a shopping mall in a town just north of Tel Aviv. For the latest, let's go to CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna. He is standing by with details.
Mike, what's going on?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, police have confirmed there was an explosion in a shopping mall in Carsada (ph). This an open shopping mall. According to eyewitnesses, a man detonated an explosive device outside an electrical shop. The man who detonated the explosive device is dead. Police have confirmed that one bystander was killed in the blast.

Fifteen people have been injured according to hospital authorities. The majority of them receiving light injuries in this blast, but police confirming one bystander killed, also dead in the blast, the man that they believe detonated the explosive device, the suicide bomber -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This ones a suburb, this is a suburb of Tel Aviv, a very heavily populated area. Is anyone claiming responsibility yet for this latest attack?

HANNA: No claim of responsibility as yet, Wolf. And yes, it's a heavy populated area. At the time, the blast went off, shortly after 6:00 local time in the evening, there would have been a lot of people in that mall. Now that is actually an open mall. This is not one of the closed-in shopping malls, so very easy for anybody, or easier for people to gain access, those who want to carry out attacks, a large number of entrances on to the street surround that mall.

Also not to mention that within the last 24 hours, Israeli police say they intercepted a suicide bomber on his way from the West Bank into Israel. They arrested him, they also arrested the man they said was a handler. So in a way, as has always been the case, continual security alert, and in this case, apparently a suicide bomber getting through. The damage relatively limited it would appear. One person dead, one bystander killed say Israeli police. A number of people injured, but most of those people injured receiving light injuries, although hospital authorities tell us there is at least one other serious injury resulting out of this blast.

But in terms of recent events, the blast perhaps dissipating in an open-air shopping mall. The reason for the relatively low number of fatalities not that clear, but one person dead, to repeat. The other person dead, the man that police believe was a suicide bomber -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com