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Deadly skirmish in Gaza Strip breaks lull in Mideast violence.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
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Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
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January 9, 2002
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2002 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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JERUSALEM _ A three-week lull in violence came to an abrupt halt Wednesday when Palestinian gunmen cut through a fence enclosing the Gaza Strip and attacked an Israeli army outpost, sparking a firefight that killed four Israeli soldiers.
Two gunmen from the radical Hamas group also were killed, the Israeli army said.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat disavowed any connection to the attack. He blamed extremists for sabotaging hopes of a Middle East cease-fire and said such violence would only embolden Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to conduct military reprisals.
As Arafat issued his statement, though, the spotlight fell again onto a unit of his security forces ...