A powerful explosion caused by a fragmentation grenade shattered the early-morning quiet in south Tel Aviv overnight, damaging several vehicles in a parking lot and triggering a large-scale police manhunt that quickly extended into the Chareidi city of Bnei Brak. The pursuit ended with the arrest of two young men riding a scooter.

The blast occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Anatbi Street in south Tel Aviv, sending a loud shockwave through the surrounding neighborhoods and prompting a massive response from emergency and law enforcement personnel. According to preliminary findings, unidentified suspects threw a fragmentation grenade into an open parking lot in a residential area.

The force of the explosion caused significant damage, with grenade shrapnel smashing the windows of several parked vehicles and causing additional property damage. After numerous emergency calls were received, officers from the Sharet Police Station, Border Police units from the Central District, and bomb disposal experts from the Tel Aviv District Police arrived at the scene. The area was sealed off as investigators began collecting forensic evidence and interviewing local residents.

At the same time, police launched an extensive search for those responsible, relying on technological tools and initial information regarding the suspects’ escape route.

The search quickly expanded beyond Tel Aviv and entered neighboring Bnei Brak. Officers from the Bnei Brak Police Station, who had been deployed at key locations throughout the city after receiving the alert, spotted two young men riding a scooter whose appearance matched the suspects’ description. Police said the pair’s behavior also aroused suspicion.

Officers intercepted the scooter and arrested both suspects. During a search of the vehicle, police discovered a knife concealed on the scooter.

The suspects, ages 17 and 19, both residents of the greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area, were taken into custody and transferred under heavy security to the Sharet Police Station in Tel Aviv, which is leading the investigation. Police said they intend to bring the two before a judge later today to request an extension of their detention as the investigation continues and additional evidence is gathered.

{Matzav.com}