Dubai police: Hamas leader killed by European team

Palestinians carry a picture of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing, as others carry his coffin, left, during his funeral procession at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, near Damascus. File photo: AP.

Dubai’s police chief says an 11-member hit squad carrying European passports was responsible for killing a Hamas commander in his hotel room last month.

Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, suggests a foreign intelligence service was behind the January 20 killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. But he did not mention any specific country. Hamas has accused Israel’s Mossad secret service.

Lt. Gen. Tamim told reporters on Monday that the alleged assassination team comprised six British passport holders, three Irish and one each from France and Germany.

He says forensic tests indicate al-Mabhouh died of suffocation, but lab analyses are still under way.

Top Hamas figures have denied that al-Mabhouh was en route to Iran, a major Hamas backer.