Two Killed at Arafat Tent

The clash at a mourning tent set up for Arafat was the latest sign of factional anarchy challenging would-be moderate heirs to Arafat who lack a popular power base.

Abbas had earlier been nominated by Arafat’s Fatah faction as their candidate for the presidential election.

The incident began after gunmen from Arafat’s splintered Fatah movement shouting "No to Abu Mazen" – Abbas’s nickname – marched by him as he stood outside the tent, paused and began firing shots into the air.

In the end, two bodyguards lay dead and four other Palestinians were wounded.