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02 February 2007 - 13 Palestinians were killed and over a 100, Thursday evening and Friday morning, were wounded in clashes between Fatah and Hamas elements in the Gaza Strip.

The clashes started when elements of the Interior Ministry's Executive Force and Qassam Brigades fighters detained two lorries out of 11 heading to the Presidential headquarters from Egypt.

Spokesman for the Qassam Brigades said that the lorries were loaded with arms and ammunitions for the Presidential Guards with the aim of boosting it to confront Hamas.

Fatah denies that and says that the lorries carried logistic equipment for the security forces but not arms or ammunitions.

The clashes started in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday evening but quickly spread to Gaza City when Presidential Guards attacked the Islamic University, a known Hamas stronghold, as well as some ministries in the city.

(Picture left - The Islamic University in Gaza was stormed by Fatah fighters - AFP)

An explosion took place inside one of the campus buildings causing a large fire, witnesses said, at what is reputedly the most prestigious Islamic university in the impoverished Palestinian territory.

Ismail Radwan, a Hamas spokesman, said: "We heavily condemn this action of the presidential guard and its acts of vandalism committed at the Islamic University, which is an academic institution without armed men or stashes of weapons."

Several gunmen were detained, while weapons and explosives were confiscated during an initial sweep of the campus, a security source said.

Fatah said the operation had been ordered after Hamas fighters fired mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades towards Gaza's main presidential compound from the university. Palestine-info.co.uk and Agencies

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