Dubai: More suspects identified in killing of Hamas official in Dubai
ABU DHABI, (Xinhua): At least one additional fake passport was used in the assassination of a top Hamas official who was found dead in a Dubai hotel room in January, a local newspaper reported Friday citing a senior diplomatic source. The Abu Dhabi-based English daily The National also cited an earlier U.S. media report saying that up to five more people had been identified by Dubai police, bringing the total suspects involved in the killing of Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, a Hamas commander, to 32.
The suspects were holding Australian, British and French passports when traveling, the newspaper said, adding it is unclear whether the additional suspects had participated in the surveillance only or were involved in the operational stage of the assassination.
Chief of Dubai police Dahi Khalfan Tamim declined to comment on the U.S. media report, the daily said.
Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, a senior commander of Hamas military wing, the Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades, was found dead in his hotel room on Jan. 20, a day after he arrived in Dubai. He was wanted by the Israeli government in connection with the kidnappings of two Israeli soldiers in 1989.
Dubai police said they are virtually certain that Israel's secret intelligence agency Mossad was behind the assassination in a complex operation that involved false Western passports, but Israel has said there was no hard proof that it carried out the killing.
Dubai has so far named 27 suspects in the murder and issued international arrest warrants for them.
ABU DHABI, (Xinhua): At least one additional fake passport was used in the assassination of a top Hamas official who was found dead in a Dubai hotel room in January, a local newspaper reported Friday citing a senior diplomatic source. The Abu Dhabi-based English daily The National also cited an earlier U.S. media report saying that up to five more people had been identified by Dubai police, bringing the total suspects involved in the killing of Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, a Hamas commander, to 32.
The suspects were holding Australian, British and French passports when traveling, the newspaper said, adding it is unclear whether the additional suspects had participated in the surveillance only or were involved in the operational stage of the assassination.
Chief of Dubai police Dahi Khalfan Tamim declined to comment on the U.S. media report, the daily said.
Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, a senior commander of Hamas military wing, the Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades, was found dead in his hotel room on Jan. 20, a day after he arrived in Dubai. He was wanted by the Israeli government in connection with the kidnappings of two Israeli soldiers in 1989.
Dubai police said they are virtually certain that Israel's secret intelligence agency Mossad was behind the assassination in a complex operation that involved false Western passports, but Israel has said there was no hard proof that it carried out the killing.
Dubai has so far named 27 suspects in the murder and issued international arrest warrants for them.