A group of unidentified assailants shot Tunisian Mohammed Alzoari as he was driving near his home in Sfax, Tunisia, Dec. 15. Alzoari was struck by a hail of bullets and died on the spot. The assailants disappeared, leaving behind cell phones, silencers and a rental car. There were no other clues that might have helped the Tunisian authorities identify them.
Alzoari was an aeronautical engineer who specialized in the manufacture of drones. For the last few years, he was employed by Hamas and Hezbollah. According to sources in Tunis, he also designed an unmanned naval vessel, apparently submersible and capable of attacking targets at sea. In an interview with a Tunisian radio station, Hamas spokesman Mosheib al-Masri said that only Israel stands to benefit from the assassination of Alzoari. Hamas placed direct responsibility on Israel for the assassination. Local newspapers reported that the Mossad had been following Alzoari for the past few weeks and was responsible for the “sterile” assassination after meticulous preparations.