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Nicosia condemns Jerusalem bomb attack

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Cyprus has condemned Wednesday’s twin bomb attacks at Jerusalem bus stations that killed a teenager, expressing solidarity with Israel.

The Foreign Ministry Tweeted that it was “dismayed by the bomb attacks”.

“Cyprus stands in solidarity with Israel and “condemns these acts of terror in the strongest possible terms.”

The ministry conveyed “our deep condolences to the families of the victims and hoping for the speedy recovery of the injured”.

A student was killed and at least 18 others injured after explosions at two bus stops in Jerusalem at the height of the morning rush hour, which Israeli security forces treat as a “combined terror attack.”

The blasts come amid a surge in violence between Israelis and Palestinians this year, and there are fears it could represent a return to the bombing campaigns of 20 years ago.

The first explosion occurred at around 7:05 a.m. local time, near a bus station located at the exit from the city.

Half an hour later, another blast went off at a bus station near the Ramot Junction, just over two miles away.

Both bus stops were packed with students.

Four of the injured are in serious condition.

Israeli police said the bombs at both sites were activated remotely by mobile phone.

It said that the explosives were placed in bags containing nails and metal pieces to maximise the impact.

More than 5,000 Israeli security officers were deployed throughout Jerusalem in the wake of the blasts; some searched other bus stops for additional planted explosives.

The incident recalled the second intifada of the early 2000s, during which Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, orchestrated a wave of bombings across Israel.

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