Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault

    JERUSALEM, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces killed a senior commander of the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) in the West Bank city of Nablus on Saturday, Israel Radio reported.

    The report quoted Israeli army sources as saying that Israeli troops shot dead two Jihad militants in Nablus, including a senior local Jihad commander who was allegedly involved in anti-Israel attacks.

    Earlier, Palestinian witnesses said that undercover Israeli forces opened fire at a group of Palestinians in the city, killing a Palestinian man.

    The bloody incident came when Israel continued a weeks-long massive air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in a bid to bring home a soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants on June 25 and halt Palestinian rocket attacks.

    The Islamic Jihad, sworn to Israel's destruction, has been behind deadly attacks against Israel in the past. Enditem