Egyptian security forces tried late Wednesday to rein in the chaos near the Egypt-Gaza border after Palestinian gunmen broke through a section of the concrete border wall, the official MENA news agency reported.

Palestinian and Egyptian security forces "were bridging a gap made by a bulldozer used by Palestinian gunmen into the fence on Gaza-Egypt borders," security sources were quoted as saying.

"Egyptian security forces on the border stopped Palestinians from crossing into the Egyptian territories through the hole made by the bulldozer and tight security measures were taken in anticipation of swarms of Palestinians who would flock into the area," said the sources.

Members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed wing of the dominant Fatah movement, smashed through a part of the border wall in protest against the arrest of an al-Aqsa leader by Palestinian police and demanded his release.

Alla al-Hams was arrested in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on Tuesday night for alleged involvement in the kidnapping of three Britons last week.

The hostages were released unharmed after three days in captivity.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2006)