Muslim extremist group claims responsibility over Gaza rocket fire

People's Daily
July 19, 2011

http://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/2301/muslim-extremist-group-claims-responsibility-over

An extremist Muslim group said Monday that it was behind recent rocket attacks into Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The Salafi group, Altawhid wal Jihad (monotheism and holy war), said it has fired 13 missiles into Israel in the last two weeks.

The rockets mostly landed in open areas without causing casualties.

In a statement, the Qaeda-inspired group said that an Israeli aerial raid killed two of its members when they were firing rockets.

The group vowed to continue the attacks, criticizing Hamas for trying to impose an unofficial ceasefire that has notably held since the end of Israel's major offensive here in January 2009. "Our Jihad is going on despite frustrating calls," a statement by the group said.

Israel responded to the rocket fire by airstrikes against training sites for Hamas and smuggling tunnels beneath Gaza's southern border with Egypt.

The latest Israeli attack was early Monday. It targeted a group of Hamas militants and wounded two of them. Israel said that it hit a group of gunmen who were planning to attack Israeli targets.

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