Palestinian police and gunmen from a faction of the ruling Fatah movement fought a gunbattle in the Gaza Strip today, witnesses said.
Gaza has been hit by growing unrest since Israel withdrew from the territory in September after 38 years of occupation.
Police came under heavy gunfire in the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip after giving chase to gunmen who had hijacked two police vehicles, witnesses said.
The gunmen said they took the vehicles to demand the release of one their group, known as the Black Panthers. He was arrested yesterday.
The clashes continued.
President Mahmoud Abbas's authority has been undermined by internal disorder, particularly since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza has intensified complicated local power struggles.