Car Bomb Kills Egyptian Islamist in Lebanon Camp

Reuters | 3/01/03 | Ali Hashisho

[kattracks]

March 1

— By Ali Hashisho

AIN EL-HILWEH, Lebanon (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded inside Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp on Saturday, killing an Egyptian Islamist who was heading to a mosque to pray, camp security sources said.

The sources said the man identified as Abu Mohammad al-Masri, an Afghan war veteran who came to Ain el-Hilweh six years ago and has never left, was killed as he left his bean shop to walk to the mosque to pray.

The mosque was frequented by members of Osbat al-Ansar, a militant group on Washington's list of "terrorist" organizations suspected of links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

"The dead man was targeted personally," said Sheikh Jamal Khattab, an Islamist leader in the southern Ain el-Hilweh camp, although he could not say if the man was a member of Osbat al-Ansar.

Palestinian security sources said the attacker had driven a Beirut-registered explosives-laden car into the camp in the middle of the night. They said they believed the device was timed to explode as Masri arrived to pray.

A previously unknown group calling itself Youth of the Armed Struggle claimed responsibility for the attack in a faxed statement sent to Reuters, saying Masri was a member of Jamaat an-Nour, thought to be an offshoot of Osbat al-Ansar.

"We decided to cut off the head of the snake in a first step that the Youth of the Armed Struggle will take to cleanse the camp of all suspect elements that were planted in the camp, and which started to sabotage camp security," the statement said.

The fax blamed Jamaat an-Nour for a string of bomb attacks in Ain el-Hilweh and for threats against prominent Palestinians in the camp.

But Islamists in Ain el-Hilweh, near the port city of Sidon, quickly blamed Israel for the attack, saying an Israeli reconnaissance plane had hovered overhead prior to the bombing.

A senior Lebanese army official confirmed an Israeli plane had flown over Sidon Friday, but said there was no reason to believe the two events were related.

A string of bombings has ripped through Ain el-Hilweh in recent months, where tensions have been high since Islamic militants clashed with fighters loyal to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction in August, killing three people.

Lebanese politicians hostile to some 350,000 Palestinian refugees registered in about a dozen camps across Lebanon point to Ain el-Hilweh as a haven for militants and organized crime.

[zarf]

I hope this is part of Bush's plan to "drive the terrorsts from place to place, to them one against the other"......

Let us hope....

[dennisw]

The sources said the man identified as Abu Mohammad al-Masri, an Afghan war veteran who came to Ain el-Hilweh six years ago and has never left, was killed as he left his bean shop to walk to the mosque to pray.

Mohammad's a has been

[Leisler]

Maybe the dried bean business is more competitive than one ever thought.

[zarf]

"to TURN them one against the other"

[Larry381]

Possible bad reaction to eating too many beans before prayers?

[dennisw]

How much money can there be in selling beans? I think garbanzos and lentils are eaten a lot over there.

[xm177e2]

A previously unknown group calling itself Youth of the Armed Struggle claimed responsibility for the attack

Yeah, a bunch of YOUTH carried out a car bombing assassination. I believe that. </sarcasm>

Go Israel! (or whoever killed this guy)!

[Leisler]

I was just kidding.

[Leisler]

I have read of such things in the National Enquirer, although the New York Times, as usual, won't cover such breaking stories.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Quoting Homer Simpson, "Woo hoo!"

[csvset]

Abu Mohammad al-Masri, date of photo unknown

Palestinian children gather over a destroyed car after the death of Egyptian Islamist Abu Mohammad al-Masri, an Afghan war veteran, who was killed by a car bomb which exploded inside Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh near the port-city of Sidon in south Lebanon, March 1, 2003. The sources said the man identified as Abu Mohammad al-Masri, who came to Ain al-Hilweh six years ago and has never left, was killed on Saturday as he left his bean shop to walk to the mosque to pray in the camp. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho

[csvset]

War on terror bump

[jrlc]

One more Mohammed al-Mohammed el-Mohammed Mohammed iced -- great. Ice all these boy buggering, woman hating, infidel killing terrorists.

[airborne]

"The dead man was personally targeted."
That indicates to me it was the work of the good guys (Israel, UK or US)

[dagoofyfoot]

EXCELLENT!


high five's around the room.

[mikegi]

Great news. I believe this slime was one of the top AQ people on our hit list (the names match). I've updated the AQ leader scoreboard with his death. Click here to see the list.

[mikegi]

Are these photos of the same man?

The one on the left is "Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah" aka "Abu Mohamed Al-Masri", and the right is "Abu Mohammed Al-Masri" who was killed today in Lebanon.

[csvset]

It sure could be, the alias matches and he's (they?) are Egyptian.

[Frank_2001]

Shiite happens!;)