Police shed light on Batsh’s killer
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police on Monday released images of two suspects in the killing of a Palestinian engineer and said they appeared to be European or Middle Eastern, fuelling suspicion that the slaying was an Israeli assassination.
Gaza’s ruling Hamas group has accused Israel of being behind Saturday’s shooting of Fadi Al Batsh, an important member of Hamas. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
Malaysian national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the composite images were based on eyewitness descriptions. He said the suspects, clad in black jackets, were fair-skinned, well-built and had beards, and were likely European or Middle Eastern.
Fuzi said the images have been displayed at all exit points in the country but said it was unclear if the men had fled Malaysia.
Police said Batsh, 34, was hit with 14 bullets by the two assailants, who shot from a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in a suburb near Kuala Lumpur. Police said security video showed the suspects had waited for him for almost 20 minutes.
Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been “assassinated by the hand of treachery.” But later its top leader accused Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency of killing Batsh and threatened retaliation.
A string of Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied whether Israel had a hand in the death. Several noted, however, that Israel is routinely blamed for such assassinations even when it is not involved.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police on Monday released computer generated photographs of two men suspected of gunning down a Palestinian man in Kuala Lumpur, adding that alerts have been put out for them at all the country’s exit points.
Two men on a motorcycle ired at least 14 shots at Fadi Al Batsh, an engineering lecturer, in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, killing him on the spot.
Hamas that rules the Gaza Strip, accused Israel’s Mossad spy agency of assassinating Batsh, who they say was a member of their group. Israel dismissed the charge.
The photographs of the suspects are based on descriptions by witnesses, police chief Mohamad Fuzi Bin Harun told reporters. They show two light-skinned suspects who may be European or Middle Eastern. Both men are about 180 cm with sturdy builds, the police chief said, according to a recording of his comments heard by Reuters.
Both suspects are on a high-powered, dark-coloured motorbike which could be a BMW or a Kawasaki. Both are carrying backpacks and have on dark jackets and helmets.
The photos showed one suspect wearing a helmet and glasses.
A forensic examination found that the victim died of multiple injuries to his head and body. Fourteen bullets were found.
“We will send some of the bullets collected to our analysis experts to determine what kind of weapon was used in this heinous killing,” Mohamad Fuzi said.
He said they were not sure whether the men were still in Malaysia.
“We cant close off our exits and we don’t have any other information apart from the photoit,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Saturday the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency.
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman dismissed claims of Mossad’s role in the murder and said it was likely that Batsh was killed as part of an internal Palestinian dispute.
Batsh’s family has requested for his body to be buried in Gaza.
Mossad has been accused of several high-proile killings involving Palestinians around the world, although Israel has consistently denied the accusations.
In 2016, Hamas blamed Mossad for the killing of a Tunisian national it described as one of its drone experts.