Clashes renew at Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon

By Mahmoud Barakat

ANKARA (AA) – Clashes erupted late Thursday between the Palestinian Fatah movement and other armed groups at the Ain al-Helweh refugee camp in Lebanon.

Machine guns and shelling were used in the clashes that took place at the Palestinian refugee camp located near the southwestern Sidon city, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency.

The Ain al-Helweh camp, the largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, witnessed clashes on July 29.

The clashes between Islamic groups and Palestinian security forces affiliated with the Fatah movement left 11 people dead and more than 40 others injured, according to UN figures.

Established in 1948, Ain al-Helweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon with 50,000 registered people, according to figures released by the UN, while unofficial statistics put the camp’s population at 70,000 people.

The total number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is estimated to be about 200,000, distributed among 12 camps, most of which are under the control of the Palestinian factions.