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Salafist Factions on Rise At Palestinian Camp in Lebanon

The historically contentious Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon has been shaken up by the the surge in the proliferation of hard-line Islamism in the region, Nasser Chararah reports.

Women are seen through a broken window after clashes at Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the port city of Sidon in south Lebanon March 12, 2013. Ten people were wounded and one killed during clashes between the Fatah movement and radical Islamists that started on Monday.  REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3EW46
Women are seen through a broken window after clashes at Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the port city of Sidon in south Lebanon, March 12, 2013. — REUTERS/Ali Hashisho

Bilal Badr, an official from the Fatah al-Islam movement (a takfiri, fundamentalist and extremist organization linked to al-Qaeda) escaped an assassination attempt yesterday [March 12] by a masked assailant in the neighborhood of Ras al-Ahmar in the Lebanese Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp.

Fatah al-Islam, according to exclusive information received by Al-Monitor, accuses Fatah of being responsible for the attack. Subsequently, sporadic security problems have been taking place inside the camp, indicating that the assassination attempt against Badr could spark an all-out military confrontation that has been looming for months between hard-line Islamist movements in the camp and Fatah.

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