Suicide car bomb kills at least four in Lebanon’s Hermel

HERMEL, Lebanon: A suicide car bomb attack in the northeastern city of Hermel Saturday killed at least four people, including the bomber, and wounded 21 others, security sources said, according to Lebanese media.

The suicide bomber drove his vehicle – a Grand Cherokee Jeep – up to a petrol station in the Zahraa area of the city where he then proceeded to detonate it.

Fire trucks rushed to the Aytam petrol station where flames soared into the night sky.

Residents were urged to keep away from the raging flames as paramedics, hampered by power cuts, moved in to pull out casualties.

The attack in Hermel is the second in just over two weeks. On Jan. 16, a suicide car bombing killed five people and wounded 42 others.

Citing a preliminary investigation, caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told a local television station that Saturday’s attack was likely the work of a suicide bomber.

M.D