Suicide bomber strikes

2004-03-06 12:26

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - A Palestinian suicide bomber and a gunman attacked a crossing point between the Gaza Strip and Israel on Saturday, the military said.

One of the assailants entered the Israeli side of the crossing terminal in a jeep altered to look like an Israeli military vehicle, an army spokesperson said. The man fired on soldiers who returned fire and killed him.

The second attacker blew himself up inside a vehicle on the Palestinian side of the crossing point.

Witnesses heard intense gunfire following the explosion.

Two Palestinian policemen were killed by the blast, the army said. Palestinian hospital officials, however, said the two died of gunshot wounds. Nine others were wounded, also from bullets.

The militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it a joint "self-sacrifice operation" in a message posted on the Hamas website.

The blast destroyed a car and body parts were seen strewn around the wreckage.

- AP