Unknown gunmen kill security officer and wound three policemen at Rafah terminal

Friday April 27, 2007 11:59 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC

Palestinian sources confirmed Friday that one national security personnel was killed and three other policemen were wounded after unknown gunmen opened fire at the Rafah crossing terminal in Rafah, Gaza.

travellers at Rafah terminal/archive photo

Spokesman of the presidential guards at the crossing, Wael Dahab, told IMEMC that that a number of gunmen opened fire at the crowd at the crossing, killing one national security personnel and wounding three other police members.

“Gunmen outside the vicinity of the crossing shot at the crowd of travelers, killing a national security officer and wounding three other police personnel”, Dahab confirmed to IMEMC. Dahab maintained that the crossing has been over-crowded over the past 24 hours after it was opened yesterday.

The spokesman added that the commander of the presidential guards had ordered a swift investigation into the incident to bring those involved to justice, and that the crossing is now operating normally.

The Rafah crossing terminal, Gaza’s sole outlet abroad, has been frequently closed by Israel since June25, 2006. A United Nations report pointed out yesterday that in April 2007, the crossing was opened for only 50% of the scheduled working days. Movement on the crossing is being monitored by European observers, as Israel orders its opening and closure.

rafah | internal unrest | news report rami at imemc dot org