Tensions in Ein al-Helweh between Fatah and the Islamists
Lebanon, Politics, 10/1/1999

The conditions were intensified in Ein al-Helweh camp on Thursday afternoon amid escalated acts between the fighters of the Islamist extremist organizations and forces and the Fatah movement's militias.

Local sources in Sidon said that "disguised" members from the Islamist forces deployed in the streets of the camp and its suburbs wearing their full weapons. A source in these forces related the armed deployment in this movement to the intention made by the Fatah movement to liquidate these forces.

Yet, the secretary of " Fatah" in Sidon district Khaled Aref has categorically denied that such a decision or intention was made, adding that he told that to several officials from the Islamic forces.

Fatah has been working for several months to unify its ranks and, rearrange its organizational and military conditions, a matter which, to a certain extent enabled it to have control of the situation in the camp through giving back a security role to "armed struggle" and the militias and revitalizing their centers and military, social and organization offices.

This was done at the expense of a retreat from the role that used to be played by the Islamic forces, especially the Asbat al-Ansar group, led by Abdul Karim al-Saaedi, known as Abu Muhjin.

These Islamist forces used to control the security conditions in the camp for many years before their role was marginalized following the assassination of four Lebanese judges at the justice palace in Sidon and the theft which followed the assassination in al-Damour. Accusations were addressed to members of the Islamic forces in the camp for these two crimes.

Despite the denial of these forces of being involved in the two incidents, they have found themselves obliged to recede.

On Thursday afternoon a demonstration was launched with the participation of the "people's committee," "the suburbs committee," and the camp's activists. The demonstrators marched in all streets which witnessed the escalation and called for eliminating traces of tension and abstaining from fighting. Later in the day armed appearances became very few.

Previous Stories:
  Shamoun opposes settlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon   (9/21/1999)
  Lebanon gives up implementation of a decision concerning Palestinians   (8/20/1999)
  Palestinan authority ready to cooperate with Lebanon over conditions in Palestinian camps in Lebanon   (6/28/1999)
  Al-Fahoum: Campaigns halted between democratic front, Fatah- Intifada   (4/13/1999)

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