GAZA Ñ Clashes have continued between Palestinian Authority forces and dissident combatants after a shootout Sunday.

On early Tuesday, a shootout erupted in Gaza City between PA military intelligence forces and members of the Palestinian committee that lead the insurgency against Israel. The fighting stemmed from a protest by the committee of the PA arrest of a Hamas squad that fired mortars toward Israel on Sunday.

Hundreds of Fatah, Jihad and Hamas supporters took to the streets to protest the PA arrest of three Hamas combatants. Three other Hamas members were injured in Sunday's fighting with PA forces after the Islamic militants fired mortar shells in the northern Gaza Strip in violation of orders by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat.

Palestinian sources said that at one point Hamas gunners fired an anti-tank shell toward PA forces. Several Hamas members were injured.

The battle took place on Sunday near Gaza City. Hamas gunners were returning from an operation in which they fired several mortars from northern Gaza toward Israel. The squad was traveling south in Gaza when they were ordered to stop by PA forces.

The Hamas squad refused and opened semi-automatic fire toward PA soldiers. At one point, the sources said, Hamas gunman fired a light anti-tank weapon toward a PA position.

PA soldiers returned the fire and several Hamas members were injured. Other Hamas combatants arrived in Bet Hanoun in northern Gaza and joined the fighting. Several PA soldiers were injured.

In all, a PA spokesman said, six people were injured in the shootout. After several hours, PA forces captured several of the Hamas gunmen. Others escaped.

The protest on late Monday was blocked by PA military intelligence. Scuffles erupted followed by the firing of shots toward the home of PA military intelligence chief Col. Mussa Arafat, Arafat's nephew. PA reinforcements were called and organizers of the protest were arrested overnight Tuesday.

The clashes are the first outbreak of internecine strife between the PA and Palestinian groups since the war with Israel erupted in September. The Palestinian insurgency has been organized by a committee composed of the ruling Fatah party headed by Arafat as well as the opposition Islamic groups.

Arafat has remained abroad during the current unrest. He held talks on late Monday with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in Jedda. PA officials have appealed for calm. On Monday, the PA banned Palestinian combatants from concealing their identity in public. A PA statement said the concealing of the Hamas combatants on Sunday led to a clash with security forces, who mistook the Hamas gunmen for Israeli commandos.

A PA security source quoted by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa appeals to Palestinians "not to wear masks and not to wander around armed, because the Israeli forces usually use the same methods, in order to kidnap Palestinians or to accomplish missions that require their penetration to the Palestinian lands."

The battle was the first between Hamas and PA forces since the eruption of the war against Israel in late September. The fighting took place after numerous warnings by the PA for an end to Hamas mortar attacks against Israel. During the battle, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat was ending talks in Amman and heading for Saudi Arabia.

PA security sources said they had not intended to capture the Hamas squad. They said they had mistaken the squad for Israeli commandos dressed as Arabs.

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