GAZA, Sept. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Al-Nasser Salah el-Dein Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), retreated on Thursday from being responsible for killing of General Musa Arafat and abduction of his son.

    PRC spokesman Abu Abeer claimed Wednesday that his group is responsible for the killing and kidnapping.

    However, the group said in a written leaflet sent to reporters early Thursday morning that "after serious investigation in the issue of assassination we announce that we are not responsible for it."

    The leaflet said that what the group announced was before the clarification of the operation and before knowing the truth.  

    The PRC, meanwhile, condemned murdering General Arafat, saying that "we can't accept to assign ourselves as persecutors or judges on anyone and we consider that what happened was shedding the Palestinian blood."

    "We will never be the beginners of shedding this blood," itadded.

    Unknown masked militants assassinated on Wednesday predawn General Arafat, a retired high-ranking security official, after storming his home in Gaza city.

    They escaped from the area after kidnapping General Arafat's son and wounding a number of his guards.  Enditem