Dubai assassins 'had UK passports'

AN 11-MEMBER hit squad carrying European passports was responsible for killing a Hamas commander in his hotel room last month in a slaying that has brought vows of revenge from the Palestinian militant group, Dubai's police chief said yesterday.

The details given by Lieutenant-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim are the most comprehensive accusations by Dubai authorities since the body of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was found on 20 January in his luxury hotel room near Dubai's international airport.

Lt-Gen Tamim said the alleged assassination team comprised six British passport holders, three Irish and one each from France and Germany. But he did not directly implicate Israel – as Hamas has done. The group has accused Israel's Mossad secret service of carrying out the killing and has pledged to strike back.

Lt-Gen Tamim said it was possible that "leaders of certain countries gave orders to their intelligence agents to kill" Mr Mabhouh, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing. Israeli officials have accused him of helping smuggle rockets into Gaza.

He said forensic tests indicate Mr Mabhouh died of suffocation, but tests were still under way to pinpoint possible other factors in his death. Senior Hamas figures have denied reports that Mr Mabhouh was en route to Iran, which is a major Hamas backer.