Jerusalem: A car bomb explosion near an army base in central Tel Aviv injured nine people in what police believes was an assassination attempt targeting a criminal syndicate.
Witnesses told Israel Radio that a motorcyclist approached the car on the corner of Menachem Begin Road and Shaul Hamelech Avenue and placed a bomb on it.
The device detonated shortly thereafter, causing the car to go up in flames.
Rescue agency paramedics said three people were slightly hurt in the incident, while six others suffered shock.
All of the injured were evacuated to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
The explosion went off on a crosswalk not far from the an Israel defence Forces base.
The windows of a bus that was traveling nearby got shattered from the force of the blast.
Police suspect that the attack could possibly be an assassination attempt against the Alperon crime family, a major mafia group in Tel Aviv.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 10, 2013, 19:19