Six Israelis die in Gaza attack

JERUSALEM – The Israeli army confirmed that six of its troops were killed yesterday when Palestinian militants blew up an armoured troop carrier during a raid in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Zeitun.

A spokesman said the dead were members of the army’s engineering corps and that they were killed in a huge explosion caused by a bomb of more than 100 kilograms. “Six IDF soldiers were killed this morning during an IDF operation to target Qassam workshops in Gaza City, when an armoured personnel carrier was struck by an explosive device planted by Palestinian terrorists,” a statement said.”The APC was carrying explosives intended to be used to destroy workshops,” it added.The Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas had claimed earlier that militants from its military wing had blown up a troop transport, killing all six crew members.The latest deaths take to 3 989 the number of fatalities in the Palestinian uprising which began in September 2000, including 3 008 Palestinians and 911 Israelis, according to an AFP tally.- Nampa-AFP”Six IDF soldiers were killed this morning during an IDF operation to target Qassam workshops in Gaza City, when an armoured personnel carrier was struck by an explosive device planted by Palestinian terrorists,” a statement said.”The APC was carrying explosives intended to be used to destroy workshops,” it added.The Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas had claimed earlier that militants from its military wing had blown up a troop transport, killing all six crew members.The latest deaths take to 3 989 the number of fatalities in the Palestinian uprising which began in September 2000, including 3 008 Palestinians and 911 Israelis, according to an AFP tally.- Nampa-AFP