Kachol Levan
28-11-02, 07:36
Explosion goes off in Mombasa hotel, missiles fired at Israeli plane
By Yossi Melman and Zohar Blumenkrantz, Ha'aretz Correspondents, Ha'aretz Service and Agencies
A booby-trapped car went off Thursday morning in the lobby of a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, where many Israelis were staying, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. Israeli hotel guests said there were casualties, including wounded children.
At about the same time, two missiles were fired toward an Israeli aircraft that had just taken off from Mombasa airport, said Ron Prosor, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman.
The plane was hit in the attack and was preparing for an emergency landing in Nairobi, but the pilot later decided to continued flying the plane back to Israel.
The aircraft belonged to the Arkia charter company. A company official, Shlomo Hanael said the pilot saw flashes of light. There were 140 passengers aboard the plane.
EL Al suspended all flights from foreign airports for two hours Thursday.
The explosion went off in the lobby of the Paradise Hotel in Mombasa at about 7 A.M. (0500 gmt), said Prosor. The hotel is Israeli-owned, Israeli TV reports said.
"I heard a loud explosion," an Israeli hotel guest, identified only as Rami, told Channel Two. Another guest, Osnat, said there were wounded, including a number of children. Some of the wounded were taken to a nearby small hospital.
By Yossi Melman and Zohar Blumenkrantz, Ha'aretz Correspondents, Ha'aretz Service and Agencies
A booby-trapped car went off Thursday morning in the lobby of a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, where many Israelis were staying, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said. Israeli hotel guests said there were casualties, including wounded children.
At about the same time, two missiles were fired toward an Israeli aircraft that had just taken off from Mombasa airport, said Ron Prosor, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman.
The plane was hit in the attack and was preparing for an emergency landing in Nairobi, but the pilot later decided to continued flying the plane back to Israel.
The aircraft belonged to the Arkia charter company. A company official, Shlomo Hanael said the pilot saw flashes of light. There were 140 passengers aboard the plane.
EL Al suspended all flights from foreign airports for two hours Thursday.
The explosion went off in the lobby of the Paradise Hotel in Mombasa at about 7 A.M. (0500 gmt), said Prosor. The hotel is Israeli-owned, Israeli TV reports said.
"I heard a loud explosion," an Israeli hotel guest, identified only as Rami, told Channel Two. Another guest, Osnat, said there were wounded, including a number of children. Some of the wounded were taken to a nearby small hospital.