Gaza gunmen shoot security officer loyal to Abbas

GAZA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Masked gunmen shot and critically wounded a senior security officer loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in the southern Gaza today, hospital and security officials said.

Tensions have been high in Gaza since Abbas called for early Palestinian elections, a move the ruling Hamas faction called a ''coup''. At least 10 Palestinians have been killed since Abbas's announcement.

Two other people, including a seven-year-old girl, were wounded when the gunmen opened fire in the Rafah refugee camp near the border between Gaza and Egypt, witnesses said.

They identified the wounded man as Hassan Jarboo, an officer in the preventive security service.

Security forces began searching the area for the gunmen.

''There should be an end to all these incidents ... We do know who did it, but I will not name them at the moment,'' Youssef Abu Siyam, a senior security officer, said.

The two sides agreed on a truce in Gaza earlier this week that has largely held.

REUTERS LL VV1515