Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has accepted the resignation of his top West Bank security chief, a sign that Mr. Abbas is responding to complaints about growing chaos among his security forces.

Ismail Jaber submitted his resignation Friday after gunmen loyal to him fired on Mr. Abbas' Ramallah compound Wednesday, when Mr. Abbas was there. The gunmen were defying a presidential request that they either disarm or join the security forces.

Mr. Abbas was elected president in January after Yasser Arafat's death. He is struggling to reform his security forces.

The Palestinian news agency, WAFA, reports that he has decided to enforce a month-old law to streamline existing security forces.