Two dozen Fatah gunmen shooting in the air disrupted final high school exams in the West Bank's second largest city on Saturday, after education officials rejected their demand to be allowed to take the tests in a separate room.

Nablus is a stronghold of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. Abbas has pledged in recent weeks to disarm all militias, but Al Aqsa gunmen have said they'll not hand over their weapons. City residents have complained repeatedly about the rule of the gunmen, some of whom use their weapons for personal vendettas.

On Saturday, gunmen from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent Fatah offshoot, entered two exam rooms, forcing some 550 students to delay their tests for several hours. They demanded to be allowed to take the test in a separate room, citing security concerns; many of the armed men are wanted by Israel.

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Many of the gunmen are also school dropouts. Obtaining a high school diploma would mean a higher rank and salary if, as Abbas has promised, he would recruit them into the Palestinian security forces under an amnesty deal with Israel.

Education officials refused to grant them special treatment, apparently fearing widespread cheating if the gunmen were allowed to take the test in a separate room.

In the end, the gunmen agreed to take the finals along with the other students, rather than in a separate hall. However, there appeared to be cheating during the tests; some exam-takers used mobiles and books, a first for normally strictly monitored finals.

One of the regular students, Ramzi Saada, 25, said he was upset about the delay. Gunmen came and closed the exam halls, he said. I saw many security forces there, but they didn't do anything. I have a right to take my test safely.

One of the gunmen, his M-16 assault rifle by his side, said he took the exams at the urging of his girlfriend.

Another, Abdel Qader Zakout, 22, checked his weapon at the door. He said he came close to getting killed by Israeli troops last week, but was determined to get his high school diploma.

In all, about 250 gunmen in Nablus have applied to take the high school finals.