Ramallah, Oct 06: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat today denounced an Israeli strike on a suspected training base for Palestinian militants in Syria as a "dangerous escalation", in a statement received by a news agency. "This dangerous escalation will lead the region once more to new disasters and aggravate instability," the veteran Palestinian leader said.

Israeli jets carried out an air raid some 15 kilometers northwest of the Syrian capital Damascus early today in retaliation for a suicide bombing in Haifa which killed 19 people as well as the female attacker. Israel said the camp had been used by militant groups including Islamic Jihad which claimed responsibility for the Haifa blast.

A Syrian official said the raid had targeted an abandoned camp which had been used by a "leftist Palestinian group" while Islamic Jihad insisted it had no fighters in the area.

Bureau Report