Radical group issues death threat against BBC journalist (denies a deal for Johnston's release)

Source: AFP

GAZA CITY (AFP) - The radical Palestinian group claiming to be holding Alan Johnston in Gaza issued a death threat on Sunday against the BBC newsman and renewed its demand for the release of a cleric held in Britain.

"If we do not reach an agreement and the situation worsens for us, we will have to turn to God and have no choice but to slit the throat of the journalist," a masked spokesman for the Army of Islam told reporters in Gaza.

He denied that a deal has been struck to release the reporter kidnapped more than three months ago. "We deny any agreement with Hamas until now to release Alan Johnston," the spokesman said.

But he confirmed that his group was in contact with the Islamist movement Hamas whose fighters took control of Gaza Strip on Friday after routing their secular Fatah rivals.



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