Jerusalem, May 18: At least seven bus passengers were killed and 20 people injured in two separate suicide attacks here this morning, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestine premier Mahmoud Abbas held their first official meeting to discuss road map for peace. In the first attack, a suicide bomber blew himself in a city bus shortly before 6.00 am local time (0830 IST) at the intersection near French Hill in North Jerusalem killing seven people and the bomber. 20 were wounded in the blast, police said.

A second suicide bomber blew himself up half an hour after the bus bombing, at the entry to the nearby Dahit al-Barid village in east Jerusalem, Israeli media reported. Police said no other person was injured in the blast. Jerusalem police chief Mickey Levy told Israel radio that the bomber boarded the bus near Pisgat Ze'ev, close to the green line border.

The bomber was dressed in a white prayer shawl and skull cap worn by Jews "to give the impression he was coming home from morning prayers," he said.

A bomb attack in Hebron in West Bank last night killed an Israeli man and his wife.

Bureau Report