Galilee Liberation Group says Old City shooting was revenge for leader's death.
By JPOST.COM STAFFjp.services2(photo credit: )
The Galilee Liberation Group, an Israeli-Arab terror organization, took responsibility on Monday for Friday's shooting attack in Jerusalem's Old City, claiming it was meant to avenge the 2004 death of the group's leader.
In a statement sent to the Maan news agency, the organization declared that it had sent Kafr Manda resident Ahmed Mahmoud Khatib to carry out a terror attack in the Old City, in which Khatib stole a security guard's gun and shot him with it before being gunned down by another guard.
Video footage shows Old City attack
"This isn't the first act of its kind," the group's spokesman said. "The act comes as revenge for the assassination of shahid [martyr] Muhammad Khatib, who was also a resident of Kafr Manda, on April 18, 2004."
Muhammad Khatib, who was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of IDF soldier Cpl. Oleg Shaikhet, was shot and killed by IDF troops in an operation that same year.
On Sunday, police released video footage of the Old City shooting, following controversy over whether the guard who shot Khatib had "confirmed the kill" by continuing to shoot the attacker after he was already down.
Police have hailed the officer's actions as "exemplary" in the face of a terrorist threat.
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
