A Bedouin teenager was shot and wounded during an anti-government protest near Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip today in disputed circumstances, security sources and Bedouin representatives said.

The protesters were angry over Egypt's slowness in releasing Bedouin arrested in security sweeps but never convicted of any crimes. They also want Egypt to review judgments made against Bedouin in absentia and complained about poor living conditions.

Members of the community said tensions were high because plainclothes security men had earlier scuffled with several Bedouin activists, prompting community leaders to postpone a planned peaceful march. But some members of the community decided to protest anyway.

The 15-year-old boy, Ibrahim al-Hathithi, was shot and wounded during the protest in the Egyptian border town of Rafah in the Sinai peninsula, a Bedouin activist said. Members of the Bedouin community said he was shot by police, but police denied firing on the protesters.

Relations between the police and the Bedouin have been strained since at least 2004, when the police detained thousands of local people for possible links to a group which bombed tourist resorts.

Thousands of Egyptian riot police clashed with Bedouin protesting against the government in July and witnesses said several civilians were shot and wounded and a teen-aged boy was killed.