By Xinhua,
Gaza : The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) claimed responsibility on Thursday for blowing up a truck full of explosives near Erez crossing on the border between northern Gaza Strip and Israel.
A Jihad spokesman said in a written statement sent to reportersthat they carried out the attack in cooperation with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, an offshoot of Fatah movement under Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Local witnesses said earlier that a Palestinian truck bomber attacked a key border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel early Thursday morning. The bomber was killed in the attack.
Israeli Army Radio confirmed the attack, but said that there were no injuries in the explosion.
Jihad spokesman’s statement noted that the attack was a “successful martyrdom operation,” and the bomber is identified as Ibrahim Nasser, 24, from Jabalia refugee camp.
A source from the Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip since June last year, said that shortly after the explosion, Israeli aircraft struck a vehicle carrying several Palestinians that were apparently connected to the attempted attack.
Palestinian witnesses said there were casualties in the strike, but the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Meanwhile, a 62-year-old Palestinian farmer was killed southeast of Gaza early on Thursday after an Israeli army tank fired one shell at the area, said medics and witnesses.