By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday banned all armed militia operating in the Palestinian territories, including those affiliated with his Fatah movement.
   "The armed militia and the irregular military or paramilitary formations are forbidden from carrying out any underground or public activities, and anyone assisting them will be subject to legal inquiry," Abbas said in a new presidential decree.
   Last week, Abbas issued a decree banning the militia of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which took over his security headquarters in the Gaza Strip 12 days ago, from operating.
   Abbas called on his emergency government "to end the phenomena of armed groups" and to "ban and confiscate all weapons, ammunition, explosives and other unlicensed fighting material as well as any material that cause danger to public order."
   Abbas published the decree after returning to Ramallah from the four-way summit at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which also gathered Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II.
   The decree, signed by Abbas as chief commander of the Palestinian forces, is seen to be targeted mainly at Fatah's military arm al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and the al-Quds brigades, the military wing of the radical Islamic Jihad (Holy War).
   The two main militia are still operating against Israeli targets in the West Bank.
   Members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have said they are not ready to drop their arms until Israel stops pursuing them and they receive assurances for their personal safety.
   Israel so far has not said it will stop chasing Palestinian militants on its wanted list, but said that it will discuss this matter through a joint Palestinian-Israeli committee.