Posted on 08/01/2004 10:22:53 AM PDT by traumer
Israel Police suspect that the Abergil family, a well-known family of underworld kingpins, is behind Sunday's apparent assassination attempt on Asi Abutbul at his casino in Prague.
At least 18 people were injured when an explosive device went off under a car parked near the Israeli-owned Hotel and Casino Royal in the Czech capital's historic center.
Czech police have ruled out a terror attack, and instead believe that the explosion was an attempt to assassinate Abutbul. His father, Felix, was murdered two years ago at the entrance to the establishment.
Abutbul was not wounded in Sunday's attack and was taken in for questioning by Czech police.
The Abutbul family also control numerous entertainment clubs, restaurants and gambling halls in Israel, primarily in Netanya.
Four people were said to be in a serious condition as a result of Sunday's attack, while the remainder sustained light injuries. Officials said tourists from Britain, Germany, Slovakia and the United States were among those hurt in the blast, which Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross called "a case of gangs settling accounts" in a radio interview.
The device went off at about 12:30 P.M. (1030 GMT) in a popular pedestrian zone in downtown Prague with many restaurants and cafes.
A man threw a grenade or bomb under a car outside a casino shortly as it passed the Royal Hotel Casino, the Abutbul family lawyer and security sources said.
Police spokeswoman Iva Knolova told The Associated Press that the incident was being investigated as an attempted murder and said authorities had "ruled out" terrorism.
A Reuters correspondent at the scene near Wenceslas Square in the tourist district said an area near the casino had been closed off and police were scouring the site for evidence.
Knolova refused to identify the car, but the CTK news agency said it was a white Jeep Cherokee with a license plate from the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Most of the injured were sitting in a restaurant outside the casino.
The Czech prime minister said investigators had a good description of the man who committed the crime.
The Foreign Office in London said two British nationals were hurt in the explosion.
"British Embassy officials immediately went to the scene of the explosion and were heading to the local hospital to provide consular assistance," the Foreign Office said. "We are aware of two British nationals being injured."
The Foreign Office said relatives were being informed.
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