An Islamist group, the Forces of the Martyr Omar al-Mukhtar, claimed responsibility Wednesday for a new attack on Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip.
A roadside bomb exploded late Tuesday near the Israeli settlement of Netzarim, but caused no injuries, an Israeli witness told AFP.
The explosive went off as a convoy of settlers escorted by troops passed by on the way from Netzarim to the Karni crossing point between Gaza and Israel.
The al-Mukhtar group, in a statement sent to AFP, said several Israeli soldiers were hit by the explosion and subsequent automatic weapon fire from its fighters.
It was the 13th communiqué since the violence in the Palestinian territories erupted on September 28 to be signed by the Forces of the Martyr Omar al-Mukhtar, claiming a number of small-scale attacks in the Palestinian territories.
Named after a Libyan nationalist who fought the Italian colonial authorities, the group, or its namesake, resurfaced after a two-year silence – GAZA CITY (AFP)
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