Three buses explode near Tel Aviv in ‘suspected terror attack’

Three empty buses have exploded on the southern edge of Tel Aviv in what Israeli police say is a “suspected terror attack”.

It happened in parking lots in the city of Bat Yam on Thursday night. There were no casualties.

Devices on two other buses failed to explode, police said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military to carry out “an intensive operation against centres of terrorism” in the occupied West Bank in response.

Footage on social media showed at least one bus on fire in a parking lot, with a large plume of smoke rising above.

Police spokesperson Aryeh Doron said officers are still trying to locate more bombs in Tel Aviv.

“Our forces are still scouring the area,” Doron told Channel 12 soon after the explosions, adding that the public must be on alert for “every suspected bag or object”.

“We may be lucky if indeed the terrorists set these timers to the wrong hour. But it’s too early to determine,” he said.

According to local media, one of the unexploded devices, weighing 5kg, carried a message saying “Revenge from Tulkarm” – referring to a recent Israeli military counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank.

The Israel Defense Forces have been carrying out operations against Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank for months, especially focusing around Tulkarm and Jenin in the north.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed as Israeli forces have intensified their raids.

Transport Minister Miri Regev paused all buses, trains and light rail trains across the country so that checks for explosive devices could be carried out, Israeli media said.