Truck bomb set off at Erez crossing; no injuries among IDF soldiers

VIDEO - A Palestinian truck bomber attacked a key border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel at around 6:35 am on Thursday, Palestinian sources in Gaza reported. The IDF said there were no reports of injuries among the soldiers manning the crossing, which is located on the northern end of the Gaza-Israel border. Scene of attack at Erez crossing (Video: Infolive.tv) According to Palestinian sources in the Strip, the attack combined gunfire with the detonation of at least one truck by a suicide bomber. Army officials said the gunmen took advantage of the heavy fog that covered the area in the early morning hours. An army official estimated that the truck bomb carried hundreds of pounds of explosives, adding that "the soldiers' deployment, readiness and conduct prevented a more severe attack". The Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad's military wing, said it carried out the attack at the Erez crossing in cooperation with the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Fatah's military wing. Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing said that the truck used in attempted attack was carrying some four tons of explosives. He identified the suicide bomber as 23-year-old Ibrahim Nasser from Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF said that in addition to the truck bomb, the gunmen also brought a jeep that was apparently meant to be used to kidnap soldiers or infiltrate the Israeli side of the terminal. The jeep overturned during the attack. The truck exploded on the Palestinian side of the crossing, and soldiers are scouring the area in search of additional gunmen. The explosion at Erez crossing (Photo: Reuters) A number of homes in the Israeli community of Netiv Ha'asara were damaged as a result of the explosion, and residents of Gaza-vicinity towns were asked to remain indoors for fear that the attack was just the first phase of a broader operation. "As soon as we heard that massive explosion, and grasped the overall situation, I instructed the residents to stay inside their secured rooms… We were concerned that mortar fire was coming our way. Luckily, the only damage was to some homes. No one was hurt," Netiv Ha'asara's security director, Gil Ta'aseh told Ynet. Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip reported that the Israeli Air Force struck the Strip's northern area, near Erez crossing. It is unclear at this time whether there were any casualties. Security establishment officials have recently expressed concern over the Palestinian groups' intent to carry out a "quality attack" that would include the kidnapping of one or more soldiers. Just a few weeks ago the IDF thwarted such a kidnapping attempt at the Kerem Shalom crossing, also located on the Israel-Gaza border. Two soldiers were moderately wounded and 11 more sustained mild injuries when two car bombs were set off at the site. Heavy exchanges of fire ensued between the soldiers and the Palestinian gunmen, who apparently sought to raid the Israeli side of the crossing and kidnap soldiers. A few days earlier another attempt to infiltrate the Kerem Shalom crossing was thwarted when IDF soldiers identified three Palestinian gunmen and proceeded to open fire in their direction. One gunman was killed and another was inured during the ensuing exchanges of fire. The third cell member fled the scene. No IDF soldiers were injured in the incident. Hanan Greenberg, Efrat Weiss and Reuters contributed to the report

Truck bomb set off at Erez crossing; no injuries among IDF soldiers

(Video) Palestinian gunmen launch attack combining gunfire, detonation of truck at terminal on Gaza-Israel border; Islamic Jihad, Fatah claim responsibility. Palestinian assailant dead; no reports of injuries among soldiers manning terminal. IDF: We prevented more severe attack