RAMALLAH, West Bank, July 8 (Reuters) - Palestinian Attorney General Ahmed al-Moghani said he survived an assassination attempt when his car exploded on Tuesday in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Palestinian security officials said they were investigating the incident.

Moghani, who was standing a few feet away from his car when it exploded, was not injured in the blast outside his house.

"This is an assassination attempt. I do not accuse anyone at this stage. The security forces have begun an investigation," Moghani told Reuters.

Moghani said he turned on the engine to warm up, then stepped away, when the bomb detonated.

Moghani moved to the occupied West Bank from the Gaza Strip after Hamas Islamists took control of the coastal territory last year. His role as attorney general has put him at the centre of a Western-backed crackdown on militants and criminals in the West Bank. (Reporting by Mohammed Assadi, Writing by Adam Entous; Editing by Mariam Karouny)

AlertNet news is provided by