Soldiers of the Companions of God,

Islamist Leader Said to Be Killed in Shootout

Hamas crushed an al-Qaida-inspired group in an hours-long standoff that came to a fiery end when a large explosion killed the radical Muslim group's leader inside his Gaza home on Saturday.

The fighting was sparked by a rebellious sermon by the group's leader, and his dramatic death put an end to the greatest internal challenge to Hamas' rule since it took control of Gaza two years ago.

The crackdown targeted Jund Ansar Allah, or the Soldiers of the Companions of God, one of a number of small, shadowy groups that are even more radical than Hamas. The decisive confrontation, in which 95 group members were arrested, solidified Hamas' iron rule in Gaza.

The radical groups have sought to expand the Palestinians' battle beyond Israel to include the Western World as well. And in Gaza they have tried to enforce a strict version of Islamic law to which Hamas has not agreed. They have also attacked Internet cafes and wedding parties over behavior they consider improper.

The crackdown highlights Hamas' desire to limit its struggle to the Palestinian cause and to distance itself from militants espousing al-Qaida's ideology, though the United States, Israel and others consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

The fighting broke out late Friday when Hamas security men surrounded a mosque in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on the Egyptian border where about 100 members of Jund Ansar Allah were holed up. Their leader, Abdel-Latif Moussa, provoked Hamas by declaring Gaza an Islamic emirate during a Friday prayer sermon and warning its leaders against invading his mosque.

TheNewYorkTimes