At Least 13 Dead in Gaza Mosque Gunfight

A deadly showdown that pitted an al-Qaida-associated organization against Hamas and police troops left at least 13 killed and 85 wounded in the Gaza Strip on Friday, marking the worst day of violence in the region since January’s Israeli offensive, according to the BBC.  —KA

BBC:

At least one Hamas fighter was killed by a grenade fired from the mosque but most of those killed were supporters of the cleric. One child was also killed.

The entire neighbourhood was sealed off as the shooting continued after dark - in what was one of the most violent incidents in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip since an Israeli offensive in December and January.

It was not immediately clear if the mosque’s imam, Abdul-Latif Moussa, was captured during the fighting.

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AP / STR

Abdul-Latif Moussa, center, leader of the Islamic group Jund Ansar Allah, is protected by militant followers after speaking at Friday prayers in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.