The Israel Air Force bombed a rocket-launching squad in the Gaza Strip Friday morning, killing one person and seriously wounding three others. A military source said the dead gunman belonged to a radical, previously unknown Palestinian armed faction inspired by al-Qaida, calling itself "Jaljalat."
There was no immediate Palestinian confirmation of the fatality. Earlier reports said four people were wounded in the strike, one of them critically and three seriously. The four were initially, mistakenly believed to have been hit by an Israeli shell, rather than rocket.
"Earlier today," the source said, "in a joint Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service operation, the Israel Air Force bombed a group of terror operatives on their way to fire rockets from the northern Gaza strip into Israel. Accurate hits including the rocket launcher were identified."
"We see Hamas as responsible for keeping the peace in the south and the IDF will respond to any attempts to disrupt the calm in the south," he added. |