Posted on 04/12/2004 10:53:04 AM PDT by yonif
Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed at least two gunmen in the pre-dawn hours Monday as the Palestinians sought to attack the Gaza Strip flashpoint settlement of Netzarim, military sources said.
The foiled attack coincided with the last day of the Passover week, observed as a festival day.
A third gunmen may have been critically wounded or killed in the incident, military sources said, describing the assault as relatively sophisticated.
According to an IDF investigation, eight terrorists were involved in the infiltration attempt, Army Radio reported. Major Shai Shemesh, an army commander in the area, called the operation "complex."
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed joint responsibility for the operation. The three groups have increasingly cooperated in attacks on Israelis.
A joint statement issued in Gaza in the name of the three groups said that the intended target of the operation was an IDF headquarters near Netzarim.
No soldiers or settlers were injured in the incident.
The two gunmen whose bodies were found at the scene were identified as Iyad Taharawi of the military wing of Hamas, and Amad Hassan of the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad. A third gunman from Fatah, who may have been wounded, remains unidentified. Palestinian police said that IDF authorities had received notification that there were three bodies at the scene.
At about 5:30 A.M., one of the armed men entered the compound of hothouses north of the settlement. He encountered an ambush of Shimshon Battalion infantry troops, and was shot dead.
Soon after, two other gunmen attacked an IDF position west of the settlement with grenades and rifles. The soldiers killed one, and the other fled, apparently wounded.
The attack was accompanied by mortar rounds fired in the direction of the settlement.
Netzarim and other Gaza settlements have been frequent targets during the Palestinian uprising. The isolated enclave of Netzarim has been the focus not only of repeated attacks but of the ongoing debate over whether the Gaza enclaves are an asset or a burden to Israel.
IDF troops have been on maximal alert status for weeks, fearing retaliation for the March 22 IDF assassination of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Red
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