An Islamic Jihad militant was killed and another injured today in a blast in the West Bank town of Nablus, in what the Israeli army said was a failed bid to blow up a military petrol tanker.
Palestinian witnesses and security sources said Mr Rami Abu Bakr (22) was killed in a mystery explosion which took place outdoors in Al-Jenid district of the city.
A second Palestinian, also from the radical group Islamic Jihad, was injured in the blast and treated at a local hospital, the security sources said.
The injured man left the hospital quickly for fear of being arrested by Israeli troops.
An Israeli army spokesman said the explosion occurred when Palestinian militants tried to fire a missile at a petrol tanker which was on its way to make a delivery.
"Two Palestinians tried to fire a shoulder-launched missile at a military petrol truck. For mechanical reasons, the missile didn't work and it blew up," he said.
The explosion took place 600 yards)from the tanker, which was immediately evacuated, he said, describing the missile as "similar to that used in Mombasa [where shoulder-launched missiles narrowly failed to bring down an Israeli airplane last Novermber]".
AFP