JERUSALEM, Jan 15: Mahmoud Abbas, who was sworn in on Saturday as president of the Palestinian Authority, knows who carried out a recent attack on a Gaza border crossing that killed six Israelis, a senior Israeli official said.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) knows who committed this terrorist attack as the preventive security service, which is under his control, is aware of their identity," the official said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has already announced that he is severing all contacts with the Palestinian Authority until further notice in the wake of the attack, carried out by three militant groups including one linked to Mr Abbas' own Fatah movement.

"This attack was claimed by Fatah's own Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the terrorists were able to pass through a cordon set up by the preventive security services at the Karni terminal where this attack took place," he added.

The official said that "the moment of truth has arrived for Abu Mazen". "If he really wants to fight against terrorism, he can order the deployment of 30,000 Palestinian policemen to the areas where the terrorists are active." -AFP