Gunmen free slain Gaza strongman's son

GAZA - Palestinian militants freed the son of slain ex-security chief Moussa Arafat on Thursday after kidnapping him and shooting dead his father in a raid on his home, a source close to negotiations with the captors said.

The killing had stirred doubt about whether Palestinian security forces can keep order in the Gaza Strip, seen as a proving ground for Palestinian statehood, once Israelis leave the occupied territory during a planned pullout next week.

Major-General Arafat, a cousin of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was a Gaza strongman kept as an adviser by President Mahmoud Abbas after being fired as head of military intelligence in an anti-corruption crackdown in April.

A militant coalition, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), claimed responsibility for what it called the "liquidation" of Arafat on Wednesday and the snatching of his son Manhal, but denied in a statement hours later any connection to the incidents.

Abbas had said no effort would be spared to arrest Arafat's killers. "This assassination will not undermine our efforts to impose law and public order," he said.

A source close to efforts to release Manhal Arafat said he had been recovered safely by mediators.

- REUTERS