Militant dies in West Bank camp blast

A Palestinian militant was killed when his estate car, packed with explosives, blew up in a West Bank refugee camp today, security officials said.

He was named as Ahmed al-Abed from the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, an armed group with ties to Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement.

There were conflicting accounts on what caused the explosion.

Palestinian security officials said the vehicle was loaded with explosives that blew up prematurely. A gas canister was found in the vehicle, witnesses said.

An Al Aqsa member initially said al-Abed’s car was apparently hit by an Israeli tank shell fired from a mountain top post overlooking Balata.

The army had no immediate comment.