Middle East Two Israelis Die Tackling Bomber

Two Israeli policemen died preventing a female suicide bomber from entering a packed Jerusalem bus shelter yesterday, probably saving many other lives.

The 19-year-old Palestinian woman detonated the bomb when the policeman demanded to search a bag the authorities say contained about 5kg of explosive.

"She threw her head back and then there was an explosion," a witness, Debbie Segal, told Army radio. "A few seconds later, her body burst into flames."

Another witness, Binyamin Miller, said: "I thought there must be many people dead because the explosion seemed so loud _ A lot of people were very, very lucky today."

About 20 people were wounded, including a nine year-old boy.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades named the bomber as Zainab Abu Salem from a Nablus refugee camp.

Jerusalem's police chief, Ilan Franco, said that the policemen had prevented many more deaths inside the bus shelter, where more than 20 people were waiting, or would have occurred had she boarded a rush-hour bus.

"The operation of border police officers today in Jerusalem ... prevented a very big attack," he said.

Israel was braced for an attack to coincide with last week's Jewish new year and Yom Kippur on Saturday.

The bombing took place in French Hill, a mostly Jewish suburb of occupied east Jerusalem, which has been a favoured target for suicide bombings over the past four years of intifada.

The prime minister, Ariel Sharon, said Israel would hit back at the Palestinians with "all force"

Jerusalem's mayor, Uri Lupolianski, led calls for the speeding up of the construction of Israel's barrier through the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

"This tragic attack should remind us that the government needs to hurry up and finish construction of the security fence", Mr Lupolianski said.

Last night, Israeli troops entered the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis to root out militants, around 20 tanks lining up on the outskirts as back-up. An Israeli helicopter fired a missile at two gunmen, but they escaped unharmed. Chris McGreal, Jerusalem