Solved case
2002 Mahane Yehuda Market bombing
A suicide bombing at a bus stop near Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market on 12 April 2002 killed six civilians and injured 104 people, in an attack claimed by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.
On Friday, 12 April 2002, shortly after 4:00 pm, a suicide bombing occurred at a bus stop at the entrance to the Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem's main fruit and vegetable market. Six civilians were killed and 104 people were injured, many of them teenagers and tourists. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.
The site was chosen to cause the maximum number of casualties. The bomber, identified as Andalib Suleiman, a 17-year-old Palestinian female, first attempted to enter the market itself but found security too tight to proceed. She then moved to Jaffa Road and attempted to board a bus. When she was prevented from boarding, she detonated the explosive device, which had been packed with nails to inflict maximum harm on those nearby. The bus was reported to have been torn apart by the force of the blast.
Suleiman was initially misidentified in the aftermath as a different individual, Nidal Daraghmeh from Jenin, before the correct identification was established.
A Palestinian man from Hebron, Muataz Muhammed Abdallah Himouni, aged 21, was arrested on 6 May 2002. The bombing had a diplomatic impact at the time: a scheduled meeting between then–U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat was cancelled as a result of the attack.
Key facts
- Victims
- On file
- Date
- 2002
- Location
- Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
2002-04-12
A suicide bombing occurs at a bus stop at the entrance to the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, killing six civilians and injuring 104 people.
2002-05-06
Muataz Muhammed Abdallah Himouni, 21, of Hebron, is arrested and claims credit for planning the attack, supplying explosives, and directing the bomber.
Best coverage
No coverage has been attached to this file yet.
People
Andalib Suleiman
CHARGED17-year-old Palestinian identified as the suicide bomber who detonated the explosive device; deceased in the attack. Listed here per available role categories, though no formal charge or conviction is described in the source, as she died in the bombing.
Muataz Muhammed Abdallah Himouni
CHARGED21-year-old man from Hebron, arrested 6 May 2002; claimed credit for planning the attack, supplying explosives, and directing the bomber.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- A suicide bombing at a bus stop near Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market on 12 April 2002 killed six civilians and injured 104 people, in an attack claimed by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.
- Where did the bombing happen?
- Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem.
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved.
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Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDIC2002 Mahane Yehuda Market bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-07
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — CNNCNN · 2026-07-07
Record history
- First published
- JUL 07, 2026
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