Monday October 8, 01:36 PM

Palestinian police kill two at pro-bin Laden rally

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian police have shot dead two protesters during a rally in support of Osama bin Laden, the first time Palestinians have been killed by their own security forces since the start of the anti-Israel revolt.

Witnesses said police shot the two demonstrators on Monday while dispersing stone-throwers at a rally organised by the militant Islamic group Hamas in Palestinian-ruled Gaza City.

The Palestinian Authority had banned the demonstration, in which police said at least 10 policemen were wounded, one of them by gunfire by masked men inside Gaza's Hamas-run Islamic University.

Thousands of protesters, some chanting "hail to bin Laden" marched through the streets as police fired teargas.

The rally was held a day after U.S.-led air strikes on Afghanistan, where bin Laden, the prime suspect in the September 11 attacks in the United States, is believed to be hiding.

-- Anonymous, October 08, 2001