Hamas, Fatah fighters clash near key Gaza crossing

GAZA, June 5 (Reuters) Hamas and Fatah forces today fought a lengthy gun battle in the Gaza Strip near the strategic Karni commercial crossing, the most serious flare-up in factional fighting in two weeks.

An officer with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Presidential Guard said a ''large number'' of Hamas fighters attacked a key Presidential Guard position near the crossing, wounding at least one guard member.

The officer said the Hamas fighters tried to infiltrate the position but were pushed back by the Presidential Guard, a Fatah-dominated force that is loyal to Abbas and receives US backing.

The Presidential Guard and Western security sources said the gun battle lasted nearly three hours.

Hamas, which leads a Palestinian unity government with Abbas's Fatah faction, confirmed the factional fighting near Karni but said the Presidential Guard initiated the exchange.

A Hamas source said the group's gunmen had been in the area to monitor Israeli forces near the Gaza border when they came under fire from the Presidential Guard.

Hamas denied any casualties on its side.

But a senior Western security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were several Hamas members injured and accused the group of hiding its casualties.

The United States and Israel say Hamas's armed wing and Executive Force receive funding and arms from Iran and other Islamist allies.

The Western security source said Hamas attacked the same position, a Presidential Guard training base next to Karni, on May 15 at the height of last month's factional fighting between secular Fatah and Hamas Islamists.

Virtually all trade with Gaza must pass through Karni.

Today's flare-up near the crossing was the most serious since a shaky ceasefire between Fatah and Hamas took hold two weeks ago after a wave of factional fighting killed some 50 Palestinians.

A senior Western security source said between 50 and 100 Hamas fighters took part in the morning assault, but those figures could not be independently confirmed.

''They (the Hamas fighters) tried to take over the crossing but were repulsed,'' the Western security source said.

REUTERS SYU ND1735