Hamas test-fires anti-tank missile

Ummah News ^ | January 25 2003 | The News

[knighthawk]

The armed wing of the Islamic Palestinian resistance group Hamas, the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Saturday it had successfully fired a new home-made anti-tank missile at an Israel tank.

"Our combatants fired an Al-Battar (sword) missile on Friday made by the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades on an Israel tank in Beit Hanun (northern Gaza Strip)," a statement said. It said the missile hit the tank successfully.

The army said earlier Saturday that Israel troops had come under fire from an anti-tank rocket. A number of home-made rockets of the Qassam type made by the Hamas fighters were fired across the border Friday morning by the armed wing of the Brigades, the army said.

One of them damaged a house in the southern Israel town of Sderot, not far from the Nevev desert ranch of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but no-one was seriously injured.

Sharon and Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz later visited Sderot and decided to launch a military operation against Beit Hanun. Overnight, Israel forces attacked the town.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Saturday the United States lacked a "clear vision" to secure peace in the Middle East by giving Iraq precedence over the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

"The Middle East is one of the issues that has suffered the most from the negative fallout of the new conceptions of terrorism and the measures deployed to fight against it," Mubarak said in a speech to mark Police Day in Egypt.

"This negative fallout has increased because of a total lack of a clear vision on the means of implementing the US vision for peace leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," he said.

Last June US President George W. Bush made a key speech outlining his strategy for securing peace in the Middle East, stipulating the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel.

Mubarak said he regretted the fact that the Palestinian-Israel crisis had "fallen back on the list of priorities" because of "the international campaign against terrorism and the international focus on Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction".

[knighthawk]

Ping

[happygrl]

BUMP!

[KeyWest]

Funny article. Fired it and hit the tank. That is usually followed by- and destroyed it. Obviously, they have a way to go with their technology.

More missing from the article than what is there. Could have fired anything from a roman candle to a real anti-tank weapon, but if it were a real anti-tank weapon and hit the tank there would be more to the article. Hard to make a good, reliable shaped charge which includes delivery system and fusing. So my bet is roman candle.

[11B3]

Nah - it probably says "Estes" on the side of it, and only powered by a size D engine at that.

[Marauder]

I would call on Mubarak to donate a piece of land somewhere in Egypt to the Palestinians, since he's so concerned about a home state for them.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

So my bet is roman candle.

No way! this thing is high tech, here is a rarely seen hamas anti tank missle ready to strike fear into the heart of the infidels

[struwwelpeter]

I used to think the bravest man in the Egyptian army had to be the Sagger gunner. He fires this POS at an Israeli tank from about a mile away. The smoke and dust are immediately spotted, and the tank opens fire with its .50 caliber. For ten-fifteen seconds that poor Egyptian SOB has to steer that missile with the joy stick towards the tank while big bullets are smacking all around him.

[Redleg Duke]

Hitting a tank is one thing, killing a tank is another. Hitting a tank without killing it is a sure way to piss off the crew.

A pissed off tank crew can be hard on your home-made launcher!

[Jumper]

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's clear vision "lacks" any credibility if he believes that first taking out the Axis of Evil Members will not enhance the peace process, e.g., once Iraq and Iran have changes of government and Syria's North Korean Missles are cleared from the chess table.

[ijcr]

This is great news, it is obvious that weapon supplies for Hamas are drying up. The desperation of having to manufacture home made material is clear evidence of logistic
failure in the Hamas movement.

If you watch any reports from the ME, you will notice that the practice of firing weapons in the air is almost gone.
This again speaks to the shortage of ammunition.

[M Kehoe]

T'is a good thing that Hamas/Hezbollah are having to build their own missles. That means their arms suppliers aren't very reliable (or embargoed, worried, out of supply, etc.).

5.56mm

[knighthawk]

This also means more 'working accidents' in Palestinian areas, which leads to less Palestinian terrorists.