Bomb Explodes In Jerusalem Bus, Killing 2 People

A bomb exploded on a passenger bus near a high school in Jerusalem today, killing two people and injuring 31, police said.

The blast occurred on the No. 26 bus in the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Eshkol during morning rush hour. Israel radio said the bus and an adjacent bus caught fire and burned.

Jerusalem police chief Arieh Amit said the explosion occurred near the Rene Cessan High School and killed two people and injured 31.

He said the blast occurred in the back section of the bus and was a bomb. He said it was most likely set off by a suicide bomber.

Israel radio said there were many bodies strewn in and around the bus. It was a commuter bus capable of carrying more than 80 passengers.

The blast occurred a day after Israel lifted a 10-day closure of the Gaza Strip which had been sealed because of Israeli fears that a suicide attack would be launched in Israel.

Islamic militants have claimed responsibility for a series of previous explosions that have killed scores of Israelis and injured hundreds since the peace agreement was signed in 1993.