SUPERMARKET: AMBULANCE: POLICE AND UN OFFICIALS: PEOPLE ON SUPERMARKET BALCONY: SMASHED GLASS: BLOODSTAINS ON FLOOR: CROWDS OUTSIDE: AMBULANCE AWAY.




Initials GHB/VS/JH/SS



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Background: POLICE ROUNDED UP OVER 150 ARAB SUSPECTS IN JERUSALEM YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) AFTER A MID-MORNING BLAST AT A CROWDED SUPERMARKET IN WHICH TWO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE KILLED AND NINE OTHERS INJURED.

A SECOND BOMB IN THE STORE FAILED TO DETONATE AND A THIRD WAS MOVED JUST IN TIME FROM THE BRITISH CONSULATE.

POLICE AND TROOPS SWARMED THROUGH THE MARKET IN EAST JERUSALEM WHILE OTHERS FANNED OUT THROUGH THE STREETS TO SEARCH ALL CARS AND QUESTION ARAB PEDESTRIANS.

THE CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE WERE LESS SEVERE THAN IN A SIMILAR MARKET BOMBING LAST NOVEMBER, WHICH KILLED 12 AND INJURED 53, IN THE MAHNE YEHUDA MARKET PLACE.

THE SUPERMARKET - "SUPER SOL" - WAS FULL OF ISRAELI MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDING THE AUSTRALIAN MAJOR LARRY SKINNER, WHO WAS SLIGHTLY HURT. MOST WERE CARRYING OUT WEEKEND SHOPPING BEFORE THE STORE CLOSED FOR THE JEWISH SABBATH.

ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER MOSHE DAYAN VISITED THE SCENE OF THE EXPLOSION AND LATER CONFERRED WITH PRIME MINISTER LEVI ESHKOL ABOUT THE INCIDENT, WHICH OCCURRED AMID TENSION OVER LAST TUESDAY'S ATTACK ON AN ISRAELI AIRLINER AT ZURICH AIRPORT.