GAZA: Palestinian gunmen blow up part of American School in Gaza

Palestinian militants blew up parts of the American International School in Gaza on Saturday (April 21), causing damage but no injuries, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said. The security sources and school officials said the militants detonated three explosive devices in two one of the buildings of the school in the northern Gaza Strip. The blast occurred before the start of the school day and no one was injured in the attack. Rebhi Salem, the school's director told Reuters Television that a large number of masked gunmen raided the school at dawn, handcuffed security men guarding the school and sabotaged classrooms and offices. "They stole the computers, the printers, the fax machines, the ... all electrical and office appliances, they were stolen, they put them in a car that was parked outside the school, and then they started... they brought huge gallons of fuel and they started spilling fuel over furniture and they set it on fire. And then they went to the office of the principle, and they put a large bomb in there, it was a big explosion that completely damaged the office of the principle," he added. The gunmen identified themselves as an al Quad organization operating in Gaza, Salem said. There have been a rash of attacks in Gaza in recent months attributed to Islamist groups that claim to be followers of al Quad. The school is a private institution that is part of an association of "American Schools" in the Middle East. The curriculum stresses English as well as Arabic studies. None of the teachers are American. A U.S. embassy official said the school has no connection to the U.S. government. The school has been a target before. Two teachers were kidnapped from the school by gunmen in 2006. Salem said growing violence in Gaza has prompted most foreign educators to leave the strip for their own safety.

ITN Source | April 21, 2007

Tags:. .recent. .security. .buildings. .april. .saturday