RAFAH (PIC)– One of the Qassam Brigades’ commanders in Khan Younis south of the Gaza Strip was killed at dawn Monday in clashes with an intruding IOF unit east of Rafah district.
The Qassam Brigades the armed wing of Hamas Movement said in a communiqué that Ahmed Abu Tahun 22 was martyred in the violent confrontation with members of the special IOF unit near Soufa crossing.
It said that Israeli ambulance vehicles were seen rushing to the scene and added that it would continue to guard the borders and to clash with the “cowardly” IOF soldiers.
Local sources said that the IOF troops broke into a number of homes in the area and detained their inhabitants before withdrawing in the early morning hours after violent clashes with the resistance fighters.
Meanwhile two other Qassam members were wounded when they engaged another IOF unit east of Khan Younis that was heading to Khuza’a and Abasan villages.
The armed wing said that its elements blasted an explosive device in the advancing unit and fired seven mortar shells at them.
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli army choppers arrived to the scene to evacuate the casualties.
The Qassam fighters also fired three mortar shells at a group of IOF soldiers midnight Sunday and four others at the settlement of Netiv Ha`asara
The armed wing said that the attacks were in retaliation to the ongoing IOF incursions into the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank IOF soldiers stormed the cities of Qalqilia and Nablus and nearby refugee camps at dawn Monday and kidnapped four Palestinian young men two in each city.
