A senior Palestinian militant was shot dead by unknown masked gunmen in a Gaza refugee camp on Thursday morning, drawing fears of a new circle added to a series of inter-Palestinian infighting.

A group of militants opened fire at Raed Nahal, northern- district commander of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC)'s military wing, killing him immediately with 15 bullets, witnesses said.

They said that the shooting took place in the Beach refugee camp in western Gaza City when Nahal was driving his car with his wife who was unharmed in the attack.

Nasser Saladin Brigades, the PRC's armed wing, accused Israeli spies and collaborators of being behind the killing of its leader.

The brigades said in a statement that "some groups supporting corruption" were also involved, threatening with "harsh response to this assassination crime".

"The blood of Nahal and late leaders is not cheap," it vowed.

In late March, Abu Yousef al-Gouga, the general commander of the PRC, was killed in a mysterious explosion targeted his car as he was about to get in. The PRC accused senior Palestinian security chiefs of being behind that killing.

The PRC is a militant group formed after the beginning of the second Palestinian Intifada (uprising) in 2000 and is responsible for a number of deadly attacks against Israeli targets in the Gaza Strip.

Most PRC members were former members of both the Fatah movement led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the now ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). It is considered a close ally for Hamas.

Source: Xinhua