1990 Cairo bus attack
The Cairo bus attack was a terrorist attack that occurred on February 4th 1990 claimed by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.[1] 9 Israeli civilians were killed and 17 more were wounded.[2] The attack was the worst on Israelis in Egypt since the two countries signed a peace agreement in 1979.
The attack
On the day of the attack the bus had been travelling from Rafah on Egypt's border with the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip to Cairo via the Suez Canal port city of Ismailia.[3] On board were 31 Israeli academics and their families. As the bus neared one of Cairo's many commuter towns a white Peugot sedan swerved in front of the vehicle, causing it to overturn. At this point several gunmen lept out of the car and opened fire on the bus with assault rifles. The attackers also threw 4 grenades, of which 2 exploded. The attackers then sped off in the same Peugot sedan used to stop the bus.
Aftermath
The attack left 9 Israelis dead and 17 more wounded. 8 were killed outright while another died in hospital later that night. The casualties were initially taken to a hospital in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis but were later transported by an Israeli military aircraft back to their home country.
The Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir told Israeli television that the attack was "serious and shocking" continuing on to say "This attack proves that hatred for Israel still exists and is running wild in the area". The United States Department of State called the attack a "horrible act of terrorism and said it was an obvious attempt by the enemies of peace to halt efforts at reconciliation and dialogue."
References
- ^ https://fas.org/irp/threat/terror_90/mideast.html
- ^ http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/MFADocuments/Yearbook8/Pages/129%20Interview%20with%20Defense%20Minister%20Rabin%20on%20IDF%20R.aspx
- ^ "8 Killed and 17 Wounded in Raid On Bus of Israeli Tourists in Egypt". The New York Times. 5 February 1990.
