What is Al-Ghoul ?
Al-Ghoul rifle, or Ghoul sniper, is a locally manufactured sniper rifle in Gaza that was first introduced into service during the 20014 war.
The Ghoul rifle uses 14.5mm and 12.7mm caliber ammunition, surpassing its counterparts, the Russian-made Dragunov with a 7.62mm caliber, and the Austrian Steyr with a 12.7mm caliber.
It is considered one of the longest sniper rifles in the world, with a length exceeding 1.5 meters, outperforming the Austrian Steyr, which measures 1.37 meters, and the Russian Dragunov, which measures 1.2 meters.
Al-Ghoul has a lethal range of 2000 meters.
It was named after Al-Qassam engineering commander Adnan Al-Ghoul.
Who was Adnan Al-Ghoul?
Adnan Al-Ghoul was the commander of the military manufacturing unit in Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza, from 1994 to 2004.
He was nicknamed "Abu al-Qassam Rockets" and "Pioneer of Military Manufacturing" due to his significant role in developing the Palestinian resistance's arsenal against the Israeli occupation.
He spent most of his life being pursued by Israeli security and military forces, as well as by the Palestinian Authority.
Despite the pursuit and the siege imposed on Gaza, he managed to make a transformative impact on the history of Palestinian resistance through his contributions to the local production of bombs, rockets, and shells.
Under his leadership, Al-Qassam Brigades succeeded in producing nine weapons, including:
- Yassin 105 anti-armor missile
- Al-Bana rocket
- Al-Badr rocket
- Various mortar shells
Adnan Al-Ghoul and his comrade, Commander Imad Abbas (both explosives and rocket manufacturing experts), achieved martyrdom in a cowardly Israeli airstrike that targeted the car they were traveling in, in Gaza City, on the evening of Thursday, the 7th of Ramadan 1425 AH, October 21, 2004