Region | Palestinian Territories

Palestinian gunmen block Gaza border crossing

Palestinian gunmen briefly blocked access to Gaza's Rafah border crossing to Egypt and stormed government offices on Wednesday in growing unrest ahead of a Palestinian election later this month.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 00:00 January 4, 2006
  • Gulf News

Gaza: Firing into the air, Palestinian gunmen briefly blocked access to Gaza's Rafah border crossing to Egypt and stormed government offices on Wednesday in growing unrest ahead of a Palestinian election later this month.

The gunmen, from Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a renegade militant group in the ruling Fatah faction, went on the rampage after police arrested a local leader on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of three Britons last week.

The latest incident began late Tuesday, when Palestinian intelligence arrested Alaa Al Hams, an Al Aqsa militant, on suspicion he and his followers kidnapped human rights activist Kate Burton and her parents for two days last week.

The Burtons were among 19 foreigners abducted by Fatah gunmen in Gaza in recent months. All have been freed unharmed.

Masked gunmen ordered passengers to leave the European Union-monitored Rafah terminal and blocked access to the facility for more than an hour after taking over several government offices in the border town and kicking out workers.

They said they allowed the terminal to reopen after security forces told them where their leader was being detained.

The gunmen, who earlier planted bombs at the border terminal, said they would prevent voting in Rafah in a January 25 parliamentary election unless Palestinian security forces freed their leader.

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