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World Jewish News
6 killed as PA, Hamas clash in Kalkilya
31.05.2009
Six people were killed - including a top Hamas operative - in a shootout between Palestinian security personnel and members of the group's armed wing in Kalkilya early Sunday morning, security officials said.
The seven-hour firefight ensued when Palestinian police surrounded a house in the West Bank town in order to arrest Hamas gunmen inside.
Palestinian sources named the two dead Hamas men as Muhammad Yassin and Mahmoud a-Saman, commander of the Izaddin Kassam Brigades in Kalkilya. Yassin reportedly died after attempting to detonate an explosives belt alongside the policemen.
Three Palestinian police officers and the civilian owner of the house were also killed in the firefight. Five PA officers were wounded and one of them was evacuated to Israel for medical treatment.
It was the deadliest outbreak of violence since Palestinians Authority President Mahmoud Abbas began a crackdown against Hamas two years ago.
The Palestinian Authority issued a partial curfew in Kalkilya following the clashes.
Hamas's Al-Aksa TV reported that the PA men were attempting to arrest a Hamas cell which had been planning to show its solidarity with the residents of the Gaza Strip by staging a demonstration.
According to Hamas, there were six people in the house, including Yassin and a-Saman.
It was unclear whether any of the other members of the cell had been arrested.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida condemned the "awful crime committed by the gangs and collaborators" of the Palestinian Authority and promised a "tough and harsh" reprisal.
Источник: JPost.com
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