Unknown gunmen abduct AP photographer in Gaza

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped a photographer working for the Associated Press (AP) in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.

Witnesses said the Spanish photographer, Emilio Morenatti, was seized by four masked gunmen and thrown into a vehicle as he left his home in Gaza City early morning.

A Palestinian security source confirmed the kidnapping, saying that investigations were underway in Gaza.

However, it has been no individuals and groups claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, so far.

The Palestinian territories, which were undergoing unprecedented financial and political crises after the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) took power in late March, have witnessed several abductions of foreign journalists and workers.

Earlier this month, unknown gunmen kidnapped a U.S. student volunteer in the West Bank but released him within hours.

In August, two journalists working for the U.S. Fox News channel were abducted in the Gaza Strip and were freed after being held by militants for two weeks.

Source: Xinhua