 Two rival Palestinian militants were killed Wednesday in a clash in a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon, security sources said. The violence erupted between Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement and a Muslim extremist group called Jund al-Sham, Arabic for Soldiers of Damascus, in the camp of Ein el-Hilweh, home for some 60,000 Palestinian refugees. A Fatah gunman and a Muslim extremist were killed in the fight which raged for several hours, using automatic rifles and hand grenades, sending panic waves in the shantytown and prompting many residents to seek shelter outside. The Lebanese army cordoned off the camp banning any gunmen from walking out. In the meantime, camp officials held an emergency meeting to settle the incident. | "More tea?" "Yes, thank you." |
An estimated 350,000 Palestinians live in 12 refugee camps throughout Lebanon. The camps are armed and outside the control of the Lebanese authorities. |