Now they are fighting within Gaza....

Hey, no protests if Hamas storms a mosque....

Hamas' militant wing in Rafah on Friday continued to battle armed men linked to a radical organization that had earlier in the day declared Gaza an "Islamic emirate."

Fifteen Palestinians were confirmed dead in the Al-Qassam Brigades' operation, according to local medical sources quoted by Ma'an's Gaza City correspondent early Saturday morning.

At least one of those killed was a high-ranking member of the militant wing of Hamas, Palestinian security sources said.

Medics added that about 120 Palestinians, including civilians, were injured, many critically.

Meanwhile, de facto security forces blew up a house that belonged to the leader of the group on Friday night, according to witnesses. There were no immediate reports of casualties in that report.

But sources said the home belonged to Sheikh Abdel-Latif Abu Moussa, leader of Jund Ansar Allah ("Warriors of God"), a radical armed group thought to be ideologically aligned with Al-Qaeda, although not officially.

Other reports claimed a young girl was killed during the battle, which Ma'an could not immediately confirm.

The Gaza-based de facto Interior Ministry issued a statement late Friday night, calling Jund Ansar Allah "mentally ill." It said officials had seized weapons from the group and would prosecute its members.

Clashes were first reported between the group and de facto security services soon after supporters of Jund Ansar Allah barricaded themselves inside a mosque, a move interpreted as a display of defiance toward the comparatively secular and nationalistic Hamas movement, which controls the Strip.