Malaysia reveals sketches of suspects in Hamas engineer’s death

April 23 (UPI) — Malaysian police released sketches Monday showing two men believed to be involved in the death of a Palestinian man — a killing some say was the work of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh — a professor and engineer who Israel said was a rocket designer for Hamas, the Gazan political and military unit — was shot to death Saturday. Malaysian Police inspector-General Mohamad Fuzi said Batsh was struck by 14 bullets as he walked from his Kuala Lumpur home to a local mosque.

“Both suspects were seen escaping the scene on two high-powered motorcycles,” Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Mazlan Lazim said. “[Sketches] of the men show one of them has a fair complexion. He is believed to be either of Middle Eastern or European descent, has a fairly long beard and is about [6-foot-3] in height. Both of them are well-built.”

Police have ruled out the assassination as a random killing, and said the severity of the attack suggests the assailants wanted Batsh dead.

Hamas has not blamed Israel for the killing, although it has accused Tel Aviv of assassinating its members multiple times in the past.

Al-Batash’s family accused Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad, in the death. Avigdor Lieberman, Israeli defense minister, denied the claim, and suggested instead that Batsh’s dead was a “settling of scores.”