Car explosion in Petah Tikva wounds two in suspected criminal hit

A car explosion in the central city of Petah Tikva on Thursday left two people wounded, one seriously and one moderately, in what police were investigating as a criminal incident.

Hebrew media reported that a third man, who had left the vehicle before the explosion, was thought by police to have been the target of the attack.

Police said they found “surviving parts of weaponry” in the car, which was transferred by bomb disposal personnel to a forensic laboratory for further investigation.

Paramedics arrived on the scene at 6:38 p.m. and provided first aid to the two wounded men, aged 20 and 25, Magen David Adom said in a statement.

“We arrived at the scene and saw a car on fire, and two men lying next to it, conscious and suffering from severe injuries to their limbs,” said one of the paramedics.

“We quickly moved them to the mobile intensive care unit and gave them first aid.”

The wounded men were evacuated to Beilinson Medical Center.