At least three people were killed and 15 others wounded in an explosion in downtown Tel Aviv on Thursday noon, according to initial reports from Israeli police. 

The explosion struck Yehuda Halevy Street in Tel Aviv, a busy and populated area in the coastal city.

A witness told Israel Radio that the explosion took place inside a foreign currency exchange booth.

Tel Aviv explosion less likely to be terror attack: police

The explosion in downtown Tel Aviv was probably criminally motivated and is less likely to be a terror attack, Israeli police sources said. 

A long-time Israeli underworld figure was lightly hurt in the blast, the sources said, adding that the underworld figure, having survived several previous attempts of assassination, is apparently the target of Thursday's bombing attack.

The underworld figure is the owner of a number of casinos both inside Israel and abroad, the sources added.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2003)