IDF, Shin Bet confirm killing of Gaza terrorist

Hamas says Army of Islam commander killed in airstrike near police headquarters, but eyewitnesses say explosion occurred inside vehicle

Ali Waked|Last update: 11.03.10 , 19:15

IDF strike: The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed on Wednesday that they were responsible for the explosion that killed Army of Islam commander Muhammad Jamal al-Namnam.

Al-Namnam's car exploded near a Hamas police station in Gaza City. The al-Arabiya network reported that one person was killed in the blast and another three were injured.

Al-Namnam was a senior field commander in the Army of Islam, one of the organizations affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Strip. He was involved in attacks against Israel targets and recently planned to carry out more attacks against Israeli and American targets through the Sinai Peninsula.

Residents gathered near car (Photo: AFP)

According to a source in one of the Gaza organizations, the man was killed in a new Hyundai car which recently arrived in the Strip from Israel as part of the easing of the blockade.

Israel has allowed dozens of vehicles to enter Gaza.

The source told Ynet that the Hamas interior ministry had recently called on Palestinian buying the new cars to have them checked thoroughly, "for fear that Israel has planted listening devices or even booby-trapped them."

Palestinian sources said the explosion rocked the Ansar area, where many of the security headquarters are located, sending up a plume of thick black smoke. Emergency teams and Hamas security forces rushed to the scene.

Eyewitnesses said the car was travelling on the road parallel to the police headquarters when the explosion occurred. Despite the claims of an airstrike, other residents said the explosion occurred inside the vehicle.

Adham Abu Selmia, a spokesman for the Strip's medical services, told Hamas journal al-Risala that the man killed in the incident was Muhammad Jamal al-Namnam, 27, a resident of the al-Shati refugee camo.

The man was said to be a senior commander in the extreme Army of Islam organization, whose members have clashed with Hamas forces. He was previously involved in terror attacks on Israeli targets, and recently conspired with Hamas members to carry out terror attacks through Sinai, against American and Israeli targets.