Clashes renewed in Ein al-Helweh camp southern Lebanon
Lebanon, Local, 5/20/2003

Violent clashes erupted yesterday in one of the quarters of Ein al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp between members of the Fatah movement and Osbet al-Nour group, over burying the two persons who were killed two days ago in an ambush that targeted the leader of "al-Nour" group Abdullah al-Shureidi who was injured seriously.

News reports in Beirut said yesterday that so far two persons were killed and ten wounded in the clashes which continued then until the mediation efforts carried out by the Islamic resistance movement Hamas.

The news reports added that the clashes in the camp were preceded by efforts to contain the differences between the two sides and mediation were made to bury the two killed persons inside the camp while Fatah wants them to be buried outside the camp.

Eye-witnesses said that sounds of exchanged fire were heard in Sidon, the greater city in South Lebanon.

Abdullah al-Shureidi, an Islamic leader and an opponent to the Fatah movement led by the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, was strongly wounded in an attack by bullets while he was riding his car upon his return from a funeral on Saturday and this resulted in an armed clash and two persons were killed as a result.

Abdullah al-Shureidi is the son of the late founder of "Osbet al-Ansar," which is a group placed by Washington on its terrorist organizations list, in that it has links to al-Qaeda organization. Al-Shureidi is also the leader of Osbet al-Nour. A group split from Osbat al-Ansar and he is wanted by the Lebanese authorities over several acts of killings.

However, tension has been prevailing in Ein al-Helweh, where several bomb explosions and confrontation by weapons took place since Islamists had clashed with fighters supporting the Fatah movement in August, 2002 and this resulted in killing three persons.

News reports said that a shell fell at an inspection point for the Lebanese army at the entrance of Ein al-Helweh but no casualties were reported.

However a displacement move was observed for the people of the camp towards Sidon.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanon dismantles terrorist network aimed at attacking the American embassy   (5/16/2003)
  Fire and explosives attacks renew in Ein al-Helweh camp, south Lebanon   (5/10/2003)
  Lebanon: An attack on western missionaries resulted in death the executor   (5/7/2003)

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