Six dead, dozens wounded in Tel Aviv blast

JERUSALEM: Six people were killed and dozens more wounded when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up on Monday in Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv, police and medical sources said.

The blast occurred at around 1:45 pm (1045 GMT) in the southern Neveh Sha'anan district close to the site of Tel Aviv's old bus station.

The attack was claimed by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.

Medical sources told Israeli television that six people were killed in the blast, including the bomber.

Several of those injured were said to be in a serious condition, sources in the Magen David Adom rescue service said.

Dozens of medical teams and ambulances arrived at the scene of the explosion minutes after it occurred, "The explosion was much worse than the previous one, much bigger. There are bodies all around," witness Benny Hassidi said.

The area has been the target of several suicide attacks in recent times, including the last such bombing in Israel on January 19 which left around 15 people wounded.

That attack was claimed by Jihad which has been behind all suicide bombings in Israel in the last year.

Israel had been on a high state of alert during the ongoing Passover holiday after militant groups threatened to avenge the recent killing of 18 Palestinians in a series of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.