Contacts to Calm Ain el-Hilweh Tension Fail, Hand Grenade Tossed Tuesday

Unknown assailants tossed a hand grenade on Tuesday in the al-Fawqani street at the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The grenade attack was followed by machine-gun fire at the grocery market conjunction, NNA added.

On Monday, tensions were high at the camp after an Islamist militant shot dead a member of the secular Fatah Movement and unknown gunmen retaliated by killing the man's brother.

Omar al-Natour, a member of Bilal Badr's group, opened fire at Fatah Movement member Abed Qiblawi, killing him on the spot at the intersection of al-Fawqani street's grocery market, it was reported.

The two parties went on alert after the incident, which prompted the Joint Palestinian Security Force to intervene in a bid to contain the situation.

But tensions flared again in the evening after unknown assailants killed Hamza al-Natour, Omar's brother, NNA said.

Palestinian and Lebanese officials held intensive contacts to prevent further deterioration.

Such incidents have become frequent in recent years in Ain el-Hilweh, the largest of Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps.

By long-standing convention, the Lebanese army does not enter the Palestinian camps in the country, leaving the Palestinian factions themselves to handle security.

That has created lawless areas in many camps, and Ain el-Hilweh has gained notoriety as a refuge for extremists and fugitives.

D.A.

G.K.