Al Qaida on Sunday claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt on the chief of the Palestinian Authority General Intelligence Services Tarek Abu Rajab on the previous day. In one of its internet sites the Palestinian branch of the international terrorist organization also issued threats against PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and other senior Fatah officials. | "We'll kill'em all! Yarrrr!" |
Abu Rajab, an Abbas loyalist, was wounded in a blast that took place at a government building in Gaza on Saturday. One of his bodyguards was killed in the explosion and 10 others were wounded. Immediately after the explosion, several theories regarding the circumstances circulated in the Palestinian territories, including an assassination attempt or an accident that occurred when one of Abu Rajab's bodyguards supposedly dropped a grenade in an elevator.
Hamas may have been the most immediate suspect of the supposed assassination attempt, as heavy tension existed between the movement and Abbas. The organization urged the Palestinian public not to rush to conclusions about the responsibility for the explosion, and to wait until an investigation that Abbas launched would yield results. | Perhaps they made the claim for al-Qaida? |
Last month, an unknown group, believed to be headed by al-Qaida in Iraq's leader Abu Musab Zarqawi, distributed leaflets threatening PA officials. |