Bombed cars, shooting leave two dead, one injured in suspected gangland violence

A bloody day of suspected gangland violence on Sunday left two men dead and another seriously injured, as cars were blown up in two cities and a shooting took place in a third.

The violence began in the central region coastal city of Netanya, where a bomb blew up a car parked in a residential neighborhood.

There were no injuries in that incident, although the car, which reportedly belonged to a family member of a known underworld figure, was completely destroyed and damage was caused to another vehicle.

The bomb may have been intended to kill someone or to serve as a warning, Channel 12 reported.

Hours later, another bomb exploded, destroying a car in Holon, another city in the central region, killing a man.

The car was parked on Yirmiyahu Street at the time, and an explosive charge apparently was attached to it, the Israel Police said in an initial statement.

However, the Kan public broadcaster later reported that further investigation indicated that the bomb may have been inside the vehicle, raising the possibility that it had gone off prematurely and the explosion may have been an accident.

The victim, who lives close to the site of the explosion, was a figure known to police and who had been involved in violent crimes and extortion, according to Hebrew media reports.

He was released from prison a few months ago, reports said.

Magen David Adom paramedics who arrived at the scene said that they found the car blown to pieces and burning. Other vehicles in the area were also damaged.

The victim, 29, was found lying in the road with serious injuries, and the medics were forced to declare him dead at the scene.

The blaze was extinguished by the fire service.

Later in the evening, gunmen opened fire at two men in the coastal city of Ashkelon, killing one man, 28, and seriously injuring another, 24. Both men were figures known in the criminal underworld, according to Hebrew media reports.

The gunmen escaped the scene and the police launched a hunt for them.

It was not clear if the incidents were connected.