It quickly became clear that the grenade was thrown from the window of a passing car and rolled under a car parked near the restaurant. According to Rudolf Blazek, this significantly reduced the number of casualties. The blast mainly affected restaurant patrons sitting on the open terrace. Their lives are not in danger.
Police believe this could have been a criminal showdown between competing commercial structures. Natalya Makovik, a public relations specialist for the state agency Czechtourism, told a Vremya Novostey correspondent by phone from Prague that the explosion occurred at the Casino Royale restaurant on Prikopa. This busy pedestrian shopping street in the center divides the city into old and new parts. It is home to several expensive hotels, many good stores with democratic prices, restaurants and cafes, as well as, incidentally, the Museum of Communism. At the time of the explosion, Ms. Makovik was in a store adjacent to Casino Royale. She even thought the explosion happened inside the establishment.
Prague police very promptly interviewed witnesses. There is information that a car drove away from the scene immediately after the explosion. The description of the young man who threw the grenade under a Jeep Cherokee parked near the restaurant is already known. It had, by the way, US license plates.
The explosion could have been the result of frictions among criminal groups in Israel, Czech law enforcement agencies believe. The most likely target of the attack was the restaurant owner, Israeli citizen Assaf Aboutboul, who was not injured in the explosion, ITAR-TASS reports. Two years ago, Assaf Aboutboul's father Felix was killed in Prague, and his killer has still not been apprehended. He was known among the country's crime bosses and was also mentioned by the Israeli press. His name was linked to the organization of a number of high-profile crimes. According to Czech law enforcement agencies, the owner of Casino Royale's father was forced to leave several gambling establishments in Israel that had brought him considerable income.
However, the Czech police have for many months been in constant anticipation of possible attacks by Islamic terrorists. Prague supported the US decision to start a war in Iraq, and about 90 Czech servicemen are there as part of coalition forces. "It is very important for our citizens to know that this criminal incident is the work of the underworld," stressed Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross, who also visited the scene of the explosion.
This is important to know not only for Prague residents. It is on Wenceslas Square, in the heart of Prague, that tourists most often make appointments. Among the wounded were also foreigners - two guests from Great Britain, as well as visitors from Bulgaria, Slovakia, Cyprus, and the USA. None of our compatriots were among the injured.
Valentina KULYABINA,
Mikhail KUKUSHKIN.