At least 19 people were killed and 51 others injured, six seriously, in a suicide bombing attack inside a restaurant in northern Israel's coastal city of Haifa, local rescue workers confirmed.

The explosion occurred at around 14:15 p.m. (1115 GMT) inside the "Maxim" restaurant on the Ha'hagana street at the southern entrance to Haifa. The restaurant has been completely demolished by the powerful blast.

Local police commander Yaakov Borovsky confirmed that there had been gunfire before the blast. The bomber gunned down a security guard at the entrance to the restaurant before blowing himself up. Casualties of the attack was extremely high since the attack occurred when the restaurant was packed with lunch diners.

Xinhua correspondent saw bodies lying on the ground at the scene and the building was completely destroyed.

This was the first suicide bombing attack inside Israel since the Israeli security cabinet decided in principle to remove Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Sept. 11.

It was also one of the deadest attacks against the Israelis in the past three years of the Palestinian intifada (uprising). No Palestinian group has thus far claimed responsibility for the Haifa suicide bombing.

Starting from Friday, Israeli security forces have been on high alert ahead of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, which will fall on Sunday evening, and a full closure has been imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip until the end of the holiday on Monday evening.
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2003)