| 2004 Ashdod Port bombings | |
|---|---|
| Part of theSecond Intifada militancy campaign | |
 Port of Ashdod in 2006 | |
  The attack site | |
| Location | 31°49′49″N34°38′29″E / 31.83028°N 34.64139°E /31.83028; 34.64139 Ashdod, Israel |
| Date | March 14, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-03-14) 16:20 pm |
Attack type | Suicide bombing |
| Deaths | 10 civilians (+2 bombers) |
| Injured | 16 civilians |
| Perpetrators | Hamas andFatah claimed responsibility |
| 2 | |
The2004 Ashdod Port bombings were twosuicide bombings carried out nearly simultaneously on March 14, 2004 at thePort of Ashdod inAshdod,Israel. As a result, 10 civilians were killed and 16 were injured.Hamas andFatah claimed joint responsibility for the attack.
On Sunday, March 14, 2004, twoPalestinian suicide bombers who wore explosive belts hidden underneath their clothes approached thePort of Ashdod. Despite the vast security arrangements at the compound, the two suicide bombers managed to infiltrate the compound.[citation needed]
At 16:20 pm the suicide bombers detonated their explosive devices - one exploded himself in an office building inside the compound, and the other exploded after a few moments at the entrance to the compound. The force of the blast killed ten civilians, most of them were port workers, and injured 16 others.[citation needed]
Hamas andFatah claimed joint responsibility for the attack and stated that the attack was carried out by two 18-year-olds from theJabalya refugeecamp in theGaza Strip.[1] The two assailants managed to infiltrate Israel from Gaza by hiding in a container that went through theKarni Crossing.[2] A Hamas leader in Gaza stated that the original plan was that the suicide bombers would blow up fuel tanks at the port; Israel said the bombers intended to carry out a "mega attack" with hundreds of casualties, but instead blew themselves up hundreds of meters from the tanks.[2] Later on it was revealed that the attack was financed and directed byNizar Rayan.[3] In response, Hamas founderAhmed Yassin waskilled along with his bodyguards and several bystanders (eleven people in total) by hellfire missiles fired at his wheelchair from Israeli helicopters inGaza City.[4][5]
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