Israeli police and security officials will remain on high alert over the weekend, with bolstered forces deployed in Jerusalem, as the manhunt continues for a suspected terror cell that detonated two explosive devices near bus stops earlier this week.

Following the coordinated bombings, which occurred early Wednesday morning and resulted in the death of a 16-year-old and the wounding of more than 20 others, authorities increased the number of officers across Jerusalem.

Security efforts will focus on public and crowded places such as places of worship, shopping centres, and recreation sites.

In a statement on Friday, Israeli police urged the public not to panic and to report any suspicious activity, individuals, or objects.

Israel’s police chief Kobi Shabtai visited Jerusalem on Friday to review the increased deployment of forces in the centre of the city, accompanied by local police chief Doron Turgeman.

Mr Shabtai emphasised the importance of continuing the increased security measures in the area, as police led proactive operations to detect threats.

Due to Wednesday’s near-identical bombs exploding within half an hour of each other at two different bus stops, investigation teams believe that a terror cell is behind the attacks, as opposed to one individual. No terror group has come forward to take responsibility.

The head of police operations said the remotely detonated bombs were “high-quality, powerful explosive devices capable of a high level of damage”.

A third bomb, placed on the light rail track near Jerusalem Central Bus Station, was defused late Wednesday night.

The individual who died due to Wednesday’s terror attack was 16-year-old dual Israeli-Canadian citizen Aryeh Shtsupak.

Speaking at the funeral of his son on Thursday, Aryeh Shtsupak’s father said: “I just want to say bye to my son Aryeh… and to apologise to him for what I couldn’t do… [it’s important] to appreciate every minute with a child and as a family.”

The method of placing bombs on buses and in public places was used frequently during the Second Intifada between 2000 and 2005 but has largely subsided in the years since.

On Thursday, an Iranian-linked hacker group accessed municipal security cameras overlooking the scene of the first attack, and published the footage obtained to the messaging app Telegram.