Jerusalem Post, February 7, 2008 -In a clear sign that Hamas is adopting Hizbullah tactics, IDF troops uncovered underground Kassam launch silos inside the Gaza Strip during an early-morning foray there on Thursday. During the operation, the troops killed seven Palestinian gunmen affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
SOURCES:Jerusalem Post ,
Pictures released by the IDF Spokesperson's Office showed two underground Kassam rocket silos, a meter in diameter and two meters deep. The launchers, the army said, were big enough to hold a Kassam or Grad-model Katyusha rocket that could be launched by remote control.
The IDF estimates that there are additional underground rocket silos throughout the Gaza Strip. The silos were discovered by the Golani Brigade's elite Egoz Unit and defense officials said that their discovery proved the need for continued ground operations inside the Gaza Strip.
Some 20 Kassam rockets hit the western Negev on Thursday. One of the rockets hit a garage adjacent to a house in Sderot, causing a fire and sending three people into shock.
Two Kassams landed near a college in the Eshkol region. No one was wounded and no damage was reported. The other rockets all hit open areas.
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(IsraelNN.com) Palestinian Authority terrorists in Gaza have been emulating the tactics of the Lebanese Hizbullah, according to IDF sources. At least one of the PA weapons suppliers is also the same as that of Hizbullah: Iran. IDF forces operating in the PA-controlled northern Gaza region on Thursday morning discovered rocket launchers that had been placed in concrete bunkers hidden underground.
The launchers could be activated from a distance Hamas has been heavily influenced by the Lebanese Hizbullah. by remote control, IDF officials said, which allowed terrorists to escape IDF attempts to immediately retaliate against the rocket-launching cells. According to military sources, the concrete rocket bunkers in Gaza demonstrate that Hamas has been heavily influenced by the Lebanese Hizbullah terrorist organization. As was discovered by the IDF, Hizbullah forces have used similar tactics along Israel's northern border, in southern Lebanon.......continue to source
