Newly installed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said on Friday that an inquiry panel would be set up to investigate a car blast that killed a militant group's leader.

Haneya made the announcement at the funeral of Abu Yousef al- Guga, leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, who was killed in Gaza in a mysterious car explosion earlier on Friday.

"We condemn this awful crime of assassination," said Haneya, who formally took office on Wednesday.

During the funeral, at least two Palestinians were killed and 22 others wounded when armed clashes erupted between security officers and militants.

"We strongly denounce this awful crime that caused the death of our brave men. It is certain that the Palestinian Authority and the interior ministry would investigate these incidents," Haneya told reporters.

"What I would like to stress on is that it's so necessary to avoid internal fighting and stop exchanges of fire and trading accusations. This would never help us to get to intact results of inquiry," he warned.

Meantime, Palestinian Interior Minister Saeed Seyam said that his ministry would be in charge of the investigation of al-Guga's death.

Abu Abber, spokesman of al-Guga's group, held Palestinian security apparatuses responsible for the leader's death.

Abber told reporters in Gaza that al-Guga was killed on his way to a mosque near his home in Gaza City for Friday's prayers when a booby-trapped car was detonated and hit al-Guga's car.

According to the spokesman, al-Guga said two days ago that some Palestinians threatened his life.

Al-Guga has been wanted by the Israeli forces, which accused him of being involved in firing a series of homemade rockets at southern Israel.

Source: Xinhua