Palestinian Ambassador to Czech Republic Just Assassinated in Prague

[Peter Lemkin]

Police find weapons at Palestinian embassy in Prague

Czech police have found weapons at the Palestinian embassy in Prague, theReuters news agency reported quoting a police spokeswoman. The news comesaday after a safe exploded at the mission, killing the Palestinian envoy,Jamal al-Jamal. The police spokeswoman gave no details about the type orquantity of the weapons; the news website respect.cz however reported thatsub-machine guns and other illegally-held firearms were discovered whichcould arm a ten-member unit.
The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic Jamal al-Jamal, died inhospital on Wednesday after suffering severe injuries in the blast.

Safe whose explosion killed Palestinian ambassador frequently used: embassy spokesman

In related news, a spokesman for the Palestinian mission in Prague Nabilel-Fahel has denied a statement by the Palestinian foreign minister whosaid the safe that exploded at the embassy had not been used for more than20 years. The spokesman said there were two safes at the embassy theone which exploded had been used frequently for storing cash and variousdocuments; the other safe, which has not been used for decades, was onlyopened by the Czech police after the explosion. The spokesman also saidthesafe had not been fitted with any explosive devises. The cause of theexplosion is under investigation by the Czech police; its president,MartinČervíček, told reporters there were no indications the blast was aterrorist attack. The Czech Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, has expressedconcern over the find of the weapons; its spokeswoman said diplomaticconventions could have been breached, adding that the ministry would demandan explanation from the Palestinian side.

Forensic experts to analyze Palestinian embassy safe, explosive

Experts at the Czech Criminological Institute began examining the safealong with an unknown substance that exploded on Wednesday in a newbuilding of the Palestinian embassy in Prague, killing the ambassador.Results of the analyses should be ready within days, the head of theinstitute said. An autopsy of the late ambassador's body is alsoscheduled for Thursday while investigators continue questioning witnessesof the explosion. The late ambassador's body will be transported toPalestinian territory next week, the embassy said.