By
The Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - A bomb exploded in a parking lot near a mosque and an opposition party meeting last night and injured seven people, the latest in a series of attacks in this coastal city.
The blast occurred in the largely Muslim neighborhood of Gatesville, said Andre DuToit, chief detective of Western Cape province. The bomb had been placed in a parking lot near the mosque, a medical center and a hall where the Democratic Alliance party was meeting.
Seven people - three women, three men and one child - were slightly injured, DuToit said. One of those injured was a police officer guarding the political meeting, which was attended by Gerald Morkel, the province's governor. The opposition party controls the provincial government.
Morkel had just arrived and entered the hall when the bomb went off. He said he did not believe he was the intended target of the bomb.
In the last two years, the city - a picturesque tourist destination known for its tabletop mountains, pristine beaches and vineyards - has been hit with several attacks against restaurants, police stations and gay bars. The attacks have left three people dead, more than 100 injured and destroyed several buildings.
Last Friday, a car bomb exploded outside a crowded cafe in the area of restaurants and bars frequented by students at the University of Cape Town.
No one was injured in the bombing, but it came a day after a local judge was assassinated.
No one has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks. But police and politicians have blamed a Muslim vigilante group called People Against Gangsterism and Drugs.
About 100 of the group are awaiting trial on a range of charges including possessing explosives.
The group has denied responsibility for the attacks and says it does not condone violence.
