~*~ The Chanukah War ~*~
IAF Attacks 60 Targets in Gaza, IDF Kills 50 Gunmen
The IDF estimates that more than 300 Hamas gunmen have been killed since the ground phase began.

by Gil Ronen, Arutz Sheva
January 11, 2009

IDF soldier preparing for overnight operation.
 

The IDF hit hard in Gaza overnight, knocking out more than 60 targets in air strikes and taking out dozens of Hamas terrorists with infantry, tanks, combat engineers, artillery and intelligence units. Among the targets was the home of the head of Hamas's military wing.

At least 50 terrorists were killed by IDF ground forces in the crowded urban center of Gaza City on Sunday morning as Operation Cast Lead entered its third week.

The move portends the escalation in operations in the region that the IDF warned of in Arabic-language pamphlets it dropped on central Gaza residents late last week.

Combined air force, ground and naval forces worked hard overnight to locate and eliminate new terrorist targets.

In one overnight incident described by the IDF Spokesman, forces identified a group of armed gunmen and guided IAF pilots to the target. In another incident, an IDF force in northern Gaza spotted an armed terrorist planting a bomb, and shot him.

IAF fighter pilots were busy all night, attacking targets throughout Gaza, including:

• A mosque in Rafiah used for storing weaponry, including machine guns and sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles. The mosque was also used as a terrorist training camp and a gathering place for Hamas members.



• 10 weapons storage facilities, including some that were located in the private homes of Hamas members



• 10 squads of armed gunmen



• 9 tunnels used to smuggle weapons and ammunition in the Rafiah area



• 3 rocket launching sites



• An underground rocket launcher



• A Hamas police station



• The house of Ahmed Jabri, head of Hamas's military wing