TEL AVIV, Israel, March 22 (UPI) -- Israel helicopters Monday killed Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin in a predawn missile attack that hit his car, also killing two of his bodyguards, in Gaza.
The killing of such a high-profile Hamas leader, who often said he was not afraid to die, appeared to immediately roil the always turbulent situation in Gaza with perhaps much more to come.
Israeli Apache helicopters fired their missiles in the predawn darkness and according to witnesses and Hamas sources hit the founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas as he was leaving a mosque near his house in Gaza City, United Press International reported.
Witnesses said that Yassin was in his wheelchair and was leaving Al Mujama' Mosque in the Sabra neighborhood.
They added "as soon as his bodyguards put him into his car, an Israeli Apache helicopter fired three missiles at the car, killing him, two of his bodyguards and a bystander." Thirteen others were wounded, among them two of his sons.
Israeli officials have maintained that Sheikh Yassin was involved in terror operations. It had held him in jail for years but released him in exchange for the release of Israeli Mossad agents caught in Amman when they tried to kill another Hamas leader.
Thousands went out to the streets after news spread that Yassin was assassinated, shouting threats of revenge. They then headed to Shiffa Hospital while hundreds of militants all over the Gaza Strip were firing in the air.
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