Islamist militant group Hamas says it has captured an Israeli killer dolphin spy, armed with weapons they claim are capable of assassinating its fighters.
Hamas posted a video on social media claiming one of its naval combat units had discovered and caught the armed aquatic operative while at sea off the coast of Gaza, The Daily Mail reports.
Hamas says its combat unit was chased by the alleged dolphin agent, which was fixed with a harness equipped with weapons.
In the video, Hamas spokesperson Abu Hamza said Israel had a fleet of "Dolphin-class submarines'' but made it clear Hamas was referring to the mammal and not the boats.
The video shows the harness allegedly strapped to the dolphin, which was fixed with a loaded spear gun-like weapon.
Israel has not responded to Hamas' allegations, the Daily Mail reports.
H I Sutton, a defence analyst, told The Daily Mail the alleged harness was conical and may have been attached to the dolphin's snout.
Sutton says it could have been similar to a harness used by the US, Ukrainian and Russian naval marine programs.
It is not the first time Hamas has claimed Israel's intelligence agency Mossad used dolphins to spy. In July 2015, Hamas said it had captured the alleged secret agents after detecting movement off the coast of Gaza.
Israeli media networks reported at the time the sea mammal was found with "spying equipment" which included using a remote control, camera and a harpoon-like weapon also thought to be capable of killing.
In 2015, that equipped mammal was brought ashore and examined, but The Daily Mail reports no photos of the alleged marine secret agent were ever shared.
