Gaza – Ma’an – The de facto government in the Gaza Strip said it released 15 people on Thursday who were originally arrested during violent clashes with an ultra-Islamist group in the city of Rafah in August.

Their release was ordered on Tuesday by de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Security forces arrested around 130 supporters of Jund Ansar Allah, an Al-Qaeda-inspired movement that declared Gaza an Islamic Emirate.

Some 25 people were killed in a shootout with Hamas-allied government forces in the confrontation, including the leader of the group, Abed Al-Latif Mousa.

The de facto government released dozens of the detainees in September and October.