A Fatah militant died of wounds he sustained in clashes with Hamas gunmen overnight, witnesses and medics said Monday.

In a fresh midnight exchange of fire with Hamas-deployed forces in southern Gaza, two Fatah militants were injured, one critically and later died of wounds, medics said.

Palestinian medics at Shiffa Hospital said that Mohamed Abu T' eima died "clinically" and Mahmoud Abu Sallah was moderately injured, adding that both are members of Fatah's armed wing al- Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Sources in the Hamas force said that the two Fatah gunmen were trying to abduct one of the Hamas security members in the village of Abassan, east of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip.

However, Palestinian security sources asserted that the Hamas- led special force gunmen ambushed the two Fatah militants as they were driving in a car in the village.

The area has witnessed heady clashes between the two rival groups in the last few weeks.

Three militants, two from Fatah and one from Hamas were killed in their furious gunbattles two weeks ago.

Tension between supporters of Hamas and Fatah has been running high in the Gaza Strip over security control and power sharing after Hamas cabinet deployed a special force in the area despite the opposition of President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads the Fatah now.

Source: Xinhua