RAMALLAH, Jan 11: Senior Palestinian security official and West Bank strongman Jibril al Rajoub resigned on Tuesday, saying he wanted to encourage President-elect Mahmoud Abbas to enact reforms.

Mr Rajoub, one of several security advisers, had been at odds with late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat over calls to slim down the range of separate competing Palestinian security forces. Mr Abbas is expected to carry out such changes.

Officials said it was quite possible that Abbas would reappoint Mr Rajoub, whose departure was the highest-profile since Sunday's elections. "I recommend speeding up the combining of the security forces into three, and making radical, immediate changes in the organizational structure and leaderships," Mr Rajoub said. -Reuters