Gunny kills border cop in shootout
A Palestinian gunman killed an Israeli and a Palestinian, and wounded four other Israelis and three Palestinians in a shooting spree at the Erez crossing point at the northern end of the Gaza Strip. St.-Sgt. David Smirnoff, 22, of Ashdod, a Border Police officer at the terminal, was critically wounded in the shooting. He was evacuated by helicopter to Beersheva's Soroka Hospital, where he died a short time later of his wounds. The wounded Israelis, two of them reportedly also border policemen, and Palestinians sustained moderate to light wounds, according to MDA sources.
The Palestinian, apparently posing as a worker at the terminal, opened fire from a Kalishnikov assault rifle he hid under his coat, and hurled at least one fragmentation grenade at Israelis and Palestinians in the vicinity. A Border Police duty-officer in charge shot and killed the assailant. He sustained minor wounds in the exchange of gunfire. Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attack, Palestinian sources in Gaza told Israel Radio.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-04-12 |