Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
April 7, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government on Thursday unveiled the names of the two people killed in a car that was the target of an apparent air strike yesterday.
Sudanese officials gave conflicting reports on whether the operation was carried out by fighter jets or missiles fired from the red Sea. However, Khartoum accused Israel of standing behind the attack.
The Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV said yesterday that the target of the strike was Abdel-Latif Al-Ashqar, a Palestinian commander in the Islamic militant group Hamas which controls the Gaza strip.
Al-Ashqar was described as the successor of Mahmood al-Mabhouh who was assassinated in Dubai last year by Israeli intelligence. He was responsible for coordinating weapon supplies to the militant movement which is designated as a terrorist group by many western countries.
A member of the Palestinian legislative council by the name of Ismail Al-Ashqar acknowledged the report about the target but stressed that the latter, who happens to be his nephew, escaped unharmed.
But Sudan denied that any foreigner was in the car and said that the names of the two people killed were Eissa Ahmed Hadab from Al-Amrar tribe and his personal driver Ahmed Gibreel. The foreign ministry said the Hyundai Sonata car was recently purchased by Hadab from another Sudanese citizen living in Khartoum.
Jibril was a businessmen from an Egyptian-Sudanese tribe in Red Sea state who had lived in Egypt for many years before returning to Sudan in 2009, a political activist in the region told Agence France Presse (AFP). Hadab, the car’s driver, was a fisherman and also from eastern Sudan, the activist added.
Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on the allegations by Sudan but he complained nevertheless that the Jewish state unfairly gets the blame for many incidents that occur around the world.
“Some see Israel’s hand in anything that happens, and it is not always true,” Netanyahu said during a press conference in Berlin, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
However, Israeli intelligence sources told AFP on Thursday that a truck carrying weapons, which was being escorted by the car, had been hit in the strike. Photos from the scene only showed the car and no mention was made of a separate truck.
The Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson Khalid Moussa described the air strike as an “aggressive act” that reflect the political manner of Israel “which practices state terror against countries and people” adding that this is a blatant violation of international law principles.
Moussa stressed that this endangers regional security and added that it is a “desperate attempt” by Israel to smear Sudan’s image and link it to terrorism. He affirmed that Sudan will lodge a complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
In the past U.S. and Egypt have warned Khartoum that arms smuggling to Gaza has flourished through East Sudan and they need to step up efforts to stop it.
Two years ago it was disclosed that Israel carried out an unknown number of airstrikes in early 2009 in Eastern Sudan using fighter jets against a convoy of arms that was allegedly headed to Gaza.
The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir and other officials in Khartoum at the time acknowledged that Israel was likely behind the air raids which state media reported to have killed 119 illegal immigrants who were trying to sneak into Europe.
Last month, the Egyptian media quoting army sources said that it had shelled a convoy of vehicles laden with arms near the Sudanese border. No further details were given and Khartoum has reportedly asked for clarifications from Cairo.
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Omoni jr
Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
Arabs can never tells the truth,dont listen to what they say, let super power nations fight the global terrorists beyond the border-lines ,even within or out side Africa as long as we know terrorists are there.
Omoni jr
Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
Arabs can never tells the truth,dont listen to them,please let the super power nations deal with them accordingly beyond the borderline
Murle Intellectual
Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
Bravo Israel, you are our partners against world islamic terrorism
Cibaipiath Junub Sudan
Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
Khartuom do not have ambassy in Isreal nor does you passport permit passing to Isreal. That shows that you are really enemy to Isreal. Why do you point at Isreal when you have many enemies are the world? Can you not just reason why there is this uprising revolution in the arabs world? Do you still believe that you are not part of the revolution? I am sorry to see this foolish and dirty arabs. If you are bitter and agitated for that missiles or air strike remove your gunships helicopters or Jet fighters and bomb Isreal. There is no need for you to be bombing the South Sudan when there are people ready like Isreal to exchange missiles with you guys.
Paul Ongee
Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
Khartoum, where is the picture of the separate truck loaded with weapons? Khalid Mousa, you’re lying to yourself. Different comments issued by different NCP officials are enough to justify your innocence? Do you expect everybody to come to the scene in Port Sudan for verification? No. Stick to your status quo and your name will be removed from the list of state sponsoring terrorism soon.
Paul Ongee
Khartoum, Sudan
Marco A. Wek
Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
NCP always talks about jihad, how comes they are not wagiing jihad on isrealis whom they acused of the air strike. Wicked people are always ready to talk about waging jihad on people but afraid to do so for Egyptians who have taken Halib by force leave alone Isreal. NCP play in a pool full of whom they see weak but are scared to death to say a single word of threat to whom they think could crash them like insects.
Born to Achieve
Sudan identifies victims of air strike on coastal city
This a conficting report,Israel said they striked 2 vichels the car & a seperate track loaded with weapons,
khartoum why dont you go public with whole shammar?& detail the whole story, why hid some part of the report?Israel said it all now.