Friday prayers lead to deadly shootout; Hamas reax

Описание: (14 Aug 2009) SHOTLIST
Rafah
1. Wide shot of leader of Jund Ansar Allah (means: Soldiers of the Companions of God) Abdel-Latif Moussa surrounded by the organisation's militants inside mosque
2. Medium of leader Abdel-Latif Moussa with militants
3. Back shot of Abdel-Latif Moussa, followers praying in front of him
4. Pan of the followers kneeling during prayer, chanting
5. Medium shot of two militants inside mosque guarding Abdel-Latif Moussa
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdel-Latif Moussa, leader of Jund Ansar Allah:
"God willing, we are declaring the new-born Islamic emirate, in the area of the Jerusalem."
7. People inside the mosque chanting in favour of Jund Ansar Allah
8. Close up of Abdel-Latif Moussa at mosque
9. Militants sitting in front of people during prayer
10. Close up of militant with machine gun
11. Various of Abdel-Latif Moussa leaving mosque surrounded by militants, militants chanting in support of the Imam
Gaza City
12. Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu walking to podium
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Taher Nunu, Hamas spokesman:
"We put complete responsibility on Abdel-Latif Moussa and the others with him for what happened today after his rushed declaration at today's Friday prayer of ignoring laws and creating what he called an Islamic emirate and taking the law into their own hands"
14. Cutaway of cameraman
15. Nunu leaving news conference
STORYLINE:
Islamic radicals from an al-Qaida-inspired group battled Hamas security in the Gaza Strip on Friday in shootouts that
killed at least 13 people.
The fighting began when Hamas forces surrounded a mosque in the southern Gaza town of Rafah where about 100 members of Jund Ansar Allah, or the Soldiers of the Companions of God, were holed up, including some armed with
suicide belts and rifles, according to residents of the area.
The confrontation was triggered when the leader of the group, Abdel-Latif Moussa, defied Gaza's Hamas rulers by declaring in a Friday prayer sermon that the territory was an Islamic emirate.
Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu, speaking in Gaza city after the shooting, said his government put "complete responsibility on Abdel-Latif Moussa and the others with him for what happened today".
Jund Ansar Allah and a number of other small, shadowy radical groups seek to enforce an even stricter version of Islamic law in Gaza and have criticised Hamas for not doing so.
They are also upset that the Hamas regime has honoured a cease-fire with Israel for the past seven months.
Hamas has said it seeks to set an example and does not impose its views on others.
It also says its violent struggle is against Israel, not the Western world.
The more radical groups' calls for global Jihad undermines Hamas' attempt to appear more moderate to Western eyes.
The hard-line groups are perhaps the most serious opposition Hamas has faced since it seized control of Gaza and ousted its rivals in the Fatah movement in a five-day, bloody civil war in June 2007.
Abdel-Latif Moussa, warned Hamas forces against trying to enter the mosque compound.
Shortly afterward, a gunbattle broke out between the militants inside the mosque and Hamas forces surrounding it.
Hamas officers then raided the mosque.
The group's leader had already fled the mosque, and Hamas forces surrounded his house later and waged another gunbattle with his men.
A large explosion was heard from Moussa's home late Friday, and the house partially collapsed, witnesses and security officials reported.
It was unclear whether the explosion was set off by Hamas forces or militants with explosives holed up inside.

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