Gaza blast kills militant, sparks gunbattles

GAZA, Mar 31 (Reuters) A car explosion near a Gaza mosque killed a top Palestinian militant today, triggering gun battles in which three others died after fighters accused palestinian security chiefs of collaborating with Israel.

At least 20 other Palestinians were injured in the fighting that followed the blast that killed Abu Youssef al-Quqa, a senior militant leader in the Popular Resistance Committees.

Israel denied any involvement in the killing. ''It wasn't us,'' said an army spokeswoman. Israel has launched several recent air strikes in Gaza targeting militants.

The surge of Gaza violence came one day after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed four Israelis in the West Bank.

Top Hamas officials defended the suicide bombing as ''resistance'' against Israeli ''crimes'', putting them at odds with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who condemned the bombing.

Hamas trounced Abbas's Fatah faction in January's parliamentary elections and officially took control of the Palestinian government this week.

The Popular Resistance Committees is an umbrella group of militants in Gaza often responsible for rocket attacks against Israel. ''We declare an open war against the Zionist enemy,'' said PRC spokesman Abu Abir.

But Abu Abir later accused Palestinian security officials of collaborating with Israel. He singled out several by name, calling them ''traitors'' and vowing, ''we will behead them''.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh appealed for calm and said the Hamas-led government he leads would launch an investigation.

''I urge Palestinians to avoid falling in the trap of internal sedition so that our arrows do not return to strike our own chests,'' said Haniyeh, who convened an emergency meeting of ministers in Gaza.

The blast occurred near a Gaza City mosque at the start of Friday prayers and all that was left of the car was a mangled heap of charred metal.

MORE REUTERS KD RN0000