An Israeli tank was hit by a massive explosion in the northern Gaza Strip Saturday morning in an attack claimed by Hamas, which said the entire crew was killed. The Israeli army confirmed that four soldiers were killed in the attack.
Witnesses said flames poured out of the vehicle following the blast, just outside the Jewish settlement of Dugit and which appeared to be caused by a roadside bomb.
They said Israeli ambulances approached the tank and evacuated the crew on six stretchers.
Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said its members "carried out a big explosion under a Merkava tank which destroyed the tank and all the people inside."
A later statement said the blast was caused by a new type of explosive, weighing 25 kilogram's that was developed by Hamas "engineers".
Residents in the area said that at the time of the explosion, an Israeli bulldozer, backed by tanks, had been razing agricultural land and several greenhouses in the area. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
