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In apparent "work accident", top Islamic Jihad leader's house explodes

By Israel Insider staff  February 15, 2008

Ayman Fayed, senior terrorist of the al-Quds Brigades -- the Islamic Jihad's military wing -- was killed Friday evening along with several family members and Jihad terrorists in an explosion that destroyed their house the al-Bureij neighborhood in central Gaza. Palestinian sources reported that at least 40 others were injured. Although some unofficial Palestinian sources said that an Israel Air Force aircraft fired missiles at the home, Hamas police reported that the circumstances of the explosion were unclear. The IDF Spokesperson's Office said that it was unaware of an airstrike in that area. The Israeli Air Force regularly takes responsibility for attacks on Gaza terrorists, so the denial lends weight to the assessment that an airstrike did not cause the explosion. The Islamic Jihad said Fayed was among the dead, and that the group would carry out reprisal attacks against Israel. Witnesses said his three-story was flattened by the blast. Witnesses reported seeing fragments of what looked like locally-produced rockets at the scene, suggesting the house may have been used to store arms and that the cause of the blast may have been the stored arms.