Hamas militant involved in kidnapping Shalit killed by Israeli army:Hamas source

A Hamas militant who participated abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was killed by Israeli army in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Hamas source said.

The source told Palestinian news agency Ramattan that the 26- year-old Ashraf al-Muasher, a field commander at Hamas' armed wing Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, was among the two casualties of Israeli offensive in Gaza this morning.

"Al-Muasher was one of the prominent militants who carried out Operation Diffused Illusion in which Corporal Gilad Shalit was kidnapped," the source said on condition of anonymity.

He was killed in armed clashes with the Israeli troops which invaded Gaza-Egyptian border town of Rafah, the source added.

Three Palestinian militant groups headed by Izz el-Deen al- Qassam Brigades abducted Shalit in a cross-border raid on an Israeli post in southern Gaza Strip on June 25 and has held him hostage so far.

Israel launched a massive offensive in Gaza three days after the abduction and continued it for almost four months in a bid to bring back the abducted soldier.

Source: Xinhua