Fatah suspected in deadly Gaza blast

GAZA, July 26 (UPI) -- Hamas security forces are cracking down on supporters of the rival Palestinian faction Fatah after an explosion in Gaza killed six people, sources say.

Five Hamas activists and a 6-year-old girl died and 15 others were injured Friday when a powerful blast struck a busy intersection near the beach in Gaza City. Hamas responded by arresting dozens of Fatah supporters, the BBC reported.

The beachside bombing followed a blast earlier in the day outside a Gaza City cafe that killed one person and injured three. The violence fit a recent pattern of attacks on shops and Christian institutions in recent weeks, the British broadcaster said.

Hamas, which seized control of Gaza from Fatah in 2007, has not explicitly blamed its rivals, but some elements of the militant group, including the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, have implied it, the BBC reported.