Pipe bomb did not explode (Archive)
Photo: ldo Erez
Underworld strikes? Bomb hurled at police offices
Is underworld targeting police? Day after assassination of reputed mobster Alperon, explosive device hurled at Central Police Unit's offices
Is underworld targeting police? An explosive device was hurled early Tuesday at one of the Central Police Unit's offices in the city of Ramle, near Tel Aviv, Ynet has found.
The bomb did not explode, apparently because of a technical malfunction.
The attack took place while senior police officials were convened at a nearby office in order to discuss the response to the assassination of reputed mobster Yaakov Alperon in Tel Aviv Monday as well as future moves aimed to counter organized crime.
Tensions High
Raanan Ben-Zur
Yaakov Alperon's son vows to avenge father's death during emotional funeral ceremony; photographers threatened, beaten up
The Central Police Unit, which was apparently targeted in the attack, stands at the forefront of the battle against some of Israel's major crime families.
The unknown attackers hurled a pipe bomb beyond the police facility's fence. Later, they apparently attempted to activate the device, but failed to do so. "This was a great miracle," a police source told Ynet. "There is no doubt that this attack required plenty of audacity."
The bomb reportedly weighed several kilos and did not go off because of a detonator malfunction.
Police investigators are now checking whether the attackers were in fact attempting to target senior police officials. Detectives are looking into the possibility that the attack was meant to convey a message to police officers involved in the war on organized crime.
