Jerusalem: Senior Hamas leader Adnan al-Ghoul, second-in-command of the outfit and founder of its military wing, and his deputy were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, prompting vows of revenge from the organisation.

An Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at a car in which al-Ghoul and his deputy Imad Abbas were travelling late last night (Oct 20, 2004) in North of Gaza City as dozens of people left a nearby mosque following evening prayers.

The killing of al-Ghoul, an expert bomb-maker and the brain behind the indigenous Qassam rockets, was the latest in a string of targeted assassinations Israel has carried out against the outfit.

Describing the slain militant as a "leading Hamas figure" responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis, the army in a statement said that he had manufactured rockets, which have killed 3 people in recent months, masterminded at least two suicide bombings, and developed anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. Hamas has confirmed the death of 46-year-old al-Ghoul and his deputy and vowed to take revenge.

"It's a new crime committed by the Zionist occupation Government against one of the leaders of the Palestinian resistance. Hamas' retaliation will be painful and the Zionist enemy will regret this awful crime," Hamas spokesman Musher al-Masri said in a statement.

As the word of his death spread, thousands of angry Hamas supporters took to the streets in several refugee camps, calling for revenge and chanting anti-Israel slogans.