Friday, August 19, 2005

Rocket attack fails to hit US ships

Three rockets believed to have been targeted at US Navy ships in the Red Sea were fired from a warehouse in Jordan, Friday morning. It is unclear who is responsible, but a group with links to al Qaeda has claimed responsibility via a website. The claim by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades could not be verified. They group has previously claimed responinsibity for several terror attacks including the recent Egyptian hotel bombings in Shaam el-Sheik which killed 64. The warehouse was rented by an Iraqi and two Jordanians, according to CNN. One of the Katyusha missiles hit an industrial zone, killing 1 Jordanian soldier and injuring another. The other two hit a military hospital and a perimeter fence near Eilat Airport, Israel. US ships quickly departed the area following the attacks which were launched at 08:45 local time [05:45 GMT]. The rocket attacks along with an oil refinery in Venezuela pushed up the price of oil on world markets. The average price per barrel this year stands at $53, and the future looks bleak as many say the average price will reach $60 per barrel by the end of the decade. [CNN report]
[16:36 GMT 19/08/2005]

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