Palestinian Faction Leader Escapes Israeli Assassination BidThe deputy chief of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Gais Al-Samulai, escaped an Israeli assassination attempt in the wee hours of Friday, said a spokesman for the Palestinian group.A huge explosion blew up the DFLP deputy secretary general's house in Abu-Laila at 1 a.m. local time (2200 GMT Thursday), injuring four people. He was not at home when the blast occurred, said the spokesman of the DFLP, the third largest Palestinian political faction after the Palestine National Liberation Movement (Al Fatah) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). An Israeli spokeswoman said that there were no Israeli tanks or gunships near the site of the explosion when it happened. But she admitted that Israeli troops and Palestinian policemen exchanged fire there. An investigation has been initiated into the incident and the cause of the blast is not clear so far, Palestinian police said. Two armed DFLP members infiltrated into an Israeli military base in southern Gaza Strip last Saturday, killing three Israeli soldiers and injuring seven others. Israel has threatened to take revenge against the DFLP. On Monday, Israel assassinated the PFLP top leader, Abu Ali Mustafa, holding him responsible for car bombings and portraying him as a "terrorist." |
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