Did Israeli underworld make its presence felt in Prague — with a bomb?

prague | An Israeli man who narrowly escaped a bombing incident in central Prague probably was the intended victim of an underworld feud, Czech police say.

Israeli businessman Assaf Abutbul escaped unhurt Aug. 1 when an explosive device — possibly a grenade — exploded after being thrown at a Jeep Cherokee where he was sitting. The incident happened outside the Casino Royal, which Abutbul is believed to own, near Wenceslas Square.

The explosion occurred just yards from the spot where Abutbul's father, Felix, was shot dead by a sniper almost exactly two years ago. That murder remains unsolved, though police believe the two cases are related.

In this week's incident, a man attempted to throw the explosive device through one of the Jeep's windows, but it fell short and exploded underneath the vehicle. Up to 18 tourists were injured, none seriously.

Witnesses told police that the suspect, who remains at large, was wearing a baseball cap and a blue T-shirt.

Police and government officials have ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack. Prague police have formed a special investigative team to handle the case.

"We are still investigating, but one theory being considered is that this was a feud between two families settling accounts" in the underworld, police spokeswoman Iva Knolova said.

Police sources said they were in contact with Israeli counterparts and Interpol in relation to the bombing, but they declined to comment further.