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| Hamas man 'drugged and smothered' | Hamas man 'drugged and smothered' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Hamas commander who was killed in his Dubai hotel room was drugged and then suffocated, according to results of forensic tests released by police. | A Hamas commander who was killed in his Dubai hotel room was drugged and then suffocated, according to results of forensic tests released by police. |
| Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's killers used a quick-acting muscle relaxant to help make the death seem "natural", a senior Dubai police officer said. | Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's killers used a quick-acting muscle relaxant to help make the death seem "natural", a senior Dubai police officer said. |
| Israel's secret service has been widely blamed for the killing. | Israel's secret service has been widely blamed for the killing. |
| However Israel has said there is no evidence it was behind the death on 20 January. | However Israel has said there is no evidence it was behind the death on 20 January. |
| It has accused Mabhouh of smuggling arms into Gaza and killing two Israeli soldiers. | It has accused Mabhouh of smuggling arms into Gaza and killing two Israeli soldiers. |
| 'Rapid onset' | 'Rapid onset' |
| "The killers used the drug succinylcholine to sedate Mabhouh before they suffocated him," Maj Gen Khamis Mattar al-Mazeina, deputy commander of Dubai's police, said. | "The killers used the drug succinylcholine to sedate Mabhouh before they suffocated him," Maj Gen Khamis Mattar al-Mazeina, deputy commander of Dubai's police, said. |
| "The assassins used this method so that it would seem that his death was natural," AFP news agency quoted him as saying. | "The assassins used this method so that it would seem that his death was natural," AFP news agency quoted him as saying. |
| The agency said succinylcholine is favoured by anaesthetists and emergency doctors because of its rapid onset. | The agency said succinylcholine is favoured by anaesthetists and emergency doctors because of its rapid onset. |
| Some previous reports on Mabhouh's death have suggested he was electrocuted and suffocated. | Some previous reports on Mabhouh's death have suggested he was electrocuted and suffocated. |
| Passport row | Passport row |
| Dubai has identified 26 suspects in the murder and said they used British, Irish, French and Australian passports. | Dubai has identified 26 suspects in the murder and said they used British, Irish, French and Australian passports. |
| The use of the European and Australian passports in the assassination has sparked a diplomatic row between those countries and Israel. | The use of the European and Australian passports in the assassination has sparked a diplomatic row between those countries and Israel. |
| The countries say the passports used by the murder suspects were forged. | The countries say the passports used by the murder suspects were forged. |
| British police officers are in Israel to investigate the use of fake British passports by some of the suspects. | British police officers are in Israel to investigate the use of fake British passports by some of the suspects. |
| Israeli officials have refused to either confirm or deny their country's involvement in the killing but have hailed it. | Israeli officials have refused to either confirm or deny their country's involvement in the killing but have hailed it. |
| Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on Sunday he did not know who had carried it out, but it showed Hamas that "none of their people are untouchable". | Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on Sunday he did not know who had carried it out, but it showed Hamas that "none of their people are untouchable". |