Following Abbas visit, cautious calm prevails in Lebanon's Ain al-Hilweh camp
Armed clashes flared up in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Lebanon, making the discussion of the security issue a top priority.
Calm has returned to Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. Violent clashes between Fatah and Islamist militants from the Bilal Badr group broke out Feb. 23 and then climaxed Feb. 28, resulting in the death of a young man and the wounding of four others, including a child.
The clashes are not new to Ain al-Hilweh, which is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, in population and in size, accommodating more than 120,000 residents, among them 54,116 refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Many non-Palestinian militants reside in the camp, including individuals affiliated with the Bilal Badr group, and Lebanese fugitives wanted by Lebanese security forces. The PLO factions (Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine) have called for these fugitives to leave the camp immediately, accusing them of attempting to entangle the camp in regional conflicts and turn it into a base for armed militants.
On March 2, Fatah representative Fathi Abu al-Ardat said the Palestinian national forces in the camp will see the wanted fugitives out and hand them over to Lebanese authorities.
