Masked Palestinian gunmen blew up a vacant resort in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, claiming they belonged to Al Qaeda and that the holiday complex is owned by Fatah kingpin Mohammed Dahlan, its manager said. Dahlan is a top adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
‘They destroyed the large wedding and conference room with several huge bombs. They planted bombs in some of the rooms, destroying the southern part of the resort,’ said Bashir Thari, manager of the Al Waha complex. Thari said about 40 gunmen, masked and heavily armed, took part in the attack and abducted, but later freed, three guards.
‘They asked them whether the resort belonged to Dahlan,’ Thari told Reuters. ‘The guards said ‘no, Al Waha belongs to a Palestinian businessman," He said the gunmen told the guards: ‘Al Qaeda has arrived in Gaza and we will destroy every place owned by Dahlan and bomb him, too.’ Officials close to Dahlan denied he has any stake in the resort.
Palestinian officials have denied any Al Qaeda presence in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank, and Abbas and security officials have said they were working hard to prevent the group from establishing a foothold in the two territories.
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