Thursday, May 18, 2006

Rival Gaza forces exchange fire

BBC

Two police officers have been wounded in a gun battle between Palestinian factions in Gaza City.
Police supporting the mainstream Fatah party said they had been attacked by a militant-led force set up by the new Hamas government - a claim it denies.

The clash came after the two rival security forces paraded through the streets in a show of strength.

Rivalry between the Fatah and Hamas has intensified since Hamas' victory in parliamentary elections in January.

Hamas has rejected calls by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw its force, first deployed in Gaza on Wednesday.

Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya, from Hamas, said the new force was legal and would provide support for the police and the Palestinian people.

The latest fighting erupted near Gaza City's parliament building just after midnight, in the early hours of Friday morning, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Officials told the agency the two policemen had been shot in the legs and the injuries were not serious.

No comments:

Post a Comment