International   

Threat to kill Hamas leaders

Atul Aneja

DUBAI: Amid growing tensions, a militant group associated with the Palestinian Fatah party has threatened to kill three top leaders of Hamas, which swept parliamentary elections earlier this year.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades linked to Fatah said in a statement that it would "execute the head of the sedition, Khaled Meshaal, Said Siyam and Youssef al-Zahar, and we will execute this ruling so those filthy people can be made an example of."

Mr. Meshaal, based in Damascus, heads the political wing of Hamas, while Mr. Siyam is the Interior Minister. Mr. Zahar is a senior Interior Ministry official. Analysts point out that the assassination threat by the Brigades signals an intensification of a power struggle between Hamas and Fatah in the Palestinian territories.

The Brigades held the Hamas responsible for clashes which began on Sunday, killing at least 10 persons.

Fighting began when Hamas activists used force, including gunfire, to curb protests by civil servants and security personnel over non-payment of salaries.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Ban Ki-Moon cements position
North Korea to conduct nuclear weapon test
Threat to kill Hamas leaders
Colombo suggests two dates for holding peace talks
Pentagon-driven robot race is back
Study bolsters Big Bang theory
Speaks Tamil, misses flight
School shooting toll up
7 U.S. soldiers killed

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu