Sniper Fire Renews in Sidon, Night Clashes Kill 3 and Injure 20

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Several neighborhoods in the southern city of Sidon, including al-Baassiri and al-Njasa neighborhoods, went under prolific sniper early on Sunday despite a cease-fire agreement overnight between the clashing parties.

The overnight clashes, which left 3 dead and 20 wounded, led to the outbreak of fires in homes and damage to properties and cars and had forced many Palestinians to flee to the city of Sidon.

Despite the agreement that was reached overnight in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh between the Islamist Jund al-Sham group and the secular Fatah Movement, intermitted gunfire continued until midnight and it included hand grenades and sniper fire that forced the closure of a number of roads leading to the camp.

The Lebanese army positions on the entrance of the camps were hit by the clashes and had therefore replied to the source of fire and fortified its presence and enhanced security measures.

Although contacts between the Lebanese and Palestinian factions led to a cease-fire agreement, but they failed to keep it going.

The camp had witnessed several similar incidents in recent months.

Ain el-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian camp in the country, is home to about 50,000 refugees who live in dire conditions and is known to harbor extremists and fugitives.

By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does not enter the country's 12 refugee camps, leaving security inside to the Palestinians themselves.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 1
Thumb zahle1 over 8 years

I don't mind the Syrians staying a few years and going back. But the Palestinians have over stayed their welcome. We should not have let them cross in the first place. That is our mistake. We have more than paid for our mistake in giving my our land and blood for them. Its time for them to go. They can go to the Gulf countries. Let them take care of them since they are the ones supporting all of the extremists. Its time to go when Fatah is positioned as secular. How do we even allow groups like Jund al sham in our country. These people want our cross. I say these camps have 90 days to De-militarize or we turn them into Nahr el bard. They don't need weapons. We need to treat this like a real refugee camp. Let the UN in after we cleanse it. I don't want to hurt one woman or child or mosque, but Jund al sham would in a second.