Israel pounds Gaza
ISRAEL: An Israeli air strike killed five Palestinian militants in
the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its aircraft "targeted
and identified hitting a squad of terror operatives who were preparing
to launch rockets towards Israeli territory".
Palestinian hospital officials said the five were militants. The
Hamas Islamist group, which rules the Gaza Strip, says it has tried to
curb rocket fire at Israel, but smaller groups continue to carry the out
such attacks. Palestinian sources later identified the gunmen as members
of a small militant group, Ansar al-Sunna, who have an agenda of global
jihad similar to that of al Qaeda.
Israel's military said more than 200 cross-border missiles, rockets
and mortars have been fired from Gaza this year.
Gaza, Sunday, Reuters |