Israel kills fugitive in bloody gun battle

Israeli troops killed a top Islamic Jihad fugitive in a gun battle at his hideout today, prompting threats of revenge by the militant group and placing further strain on an already shaky ceasefire.

A similar clash in another area of the West Bank last week triggered two suicide bombings.

The bloodied body of the wanted man, Mohammed Sidr, was pulled from the rubble of a small warehouse inn the West Bank town of Hebron following a stand-off of several hours during which he traded fire with troops.

A Kalashnikov assault rifle was found near his body. The military said the warehouse doubled as a bomb lab.

Israel holds Sidr responsible for the deaths of 19 Israelis and two international observers, one from Switzerland and one from Turkey, in several bombings and shootings.

The Israeli military said 82 people were wounded in these attacks.

Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz described Sidr as a “ticking bomb.”

Israel tried to kill Sidr in a December helicopter strike. He escaped but two boys, aged three and 13, were killed.

The Palestinian Authority warned that such Israeli operations could collapse the ceasefire.

An official statement charged that the raids are in violation of the road map peace plan and “might even open the door wide for renewal of the bloody confrontation that has wrecked the region in the last three years.”

The raid began with soldiers repeatedly called on Sidr over loudspeaker to surrender.

The army said he fired at troops, and a gunfight ensued. At one point, an army bulldozer tore down the back wall of the warehouse.

Israel Radio said troops fired an anti-tank missile, setting off blasts inside, apparently an explosives cache. Sidr apparently was alone.

After the body was pulled away, troops blew up the warehouse.

Islamic Jihad threatened revenge. The retaliation would be felt “like an earthquake in the heart of the Zionist entity.” said a statement.

“I assure our people that this crime in Hebron will not go unpunished,” said Bassam Sadi, leader of Islamic Jihad in the West Bank.