By Xinhua
Gaza : Two Gaza militant groups claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the homemade rocket attack on an Israeli army base in southern Israel, wounding dozens of Israeli soldiers.
Saraya al-Quds, armed wing of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), and Sallah el-Dein Brigades, armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) said in a joint leaflet faxed to the press that they fired a rocket from northern Gaza at the southern Israeli town of Zikim.
“This attack is a natural response to the daily Zionist crimes committed against our people, and to prove that resistance against the occupation wouldn’t stop,” the two groups said.
Israel Radio said that a homemade rocket struck an Israeli army camp near the town of Zikim north of the Gaza Strip while the soldiers were sleeping on Tuesday dawn, adding that more than 67 soldiers were wounded.
The radio quoted Israeli medics as saying that nine soldiers were moderately injured, 30 sustained light injuries and the rest suffered from shock.
This is the largest number of casualties to date resulting from a single Qassam attack.
Meanwhile, three rockets were launched from the area of the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun, said the radio, adding that two of the rockets landed in open areas.
The third one landed in the Zikim base, about 1 kilometer north of the Gaza Strip, next to a tent containing several soldiers from a battalion in basic training, it added.