SIDON, Lebanon: Palestinian security forces on Saturday battled radical Islamist gunmen in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp near the southern port of Sidon, for the third consecutive day.
The clashes first broke out Thursday when gunmen from the small Islamist Badr group opened fire on a position of Palestinian security forces inside Ain Al-Hilweh camp, a Palestinian source said.
Two people were killed in that fighting.
An AFP reporter said the clashes eased on Friday before intensifying again on Saturday, forcing dozens of families to flee the camp and seek shelter in Sidon mosques.
The sound of fierce gunfire and rocket fire could be heard outside the camp as black smoke billowed over Ain Al-Hilweh, said the reporter.
The fighting shook the Al-Tiri district a few meters (yards) away from a Lebanese army position.
By longstanding convention, the Lebanese army does not enter Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, leaving the factions themselves to handle security.
The Islamist group is linked to Bilal Badr, a militant wanted in connection with “terrorism” who has refused to surrender, according to a Lebanese security official.
In April, his supporters also clashed intermittently for a week with Palestinian security forces, in violence that left nine dead and more than 50 wounded.
A joint Palestinian security force, comprising members of the key Fatah and Hamas factions, has for months strived to rein in Badr fighters.
Ain Al-Hilweh — the most densely populated Palestinian camp in Lebanon — is home to some 61,000 Palestinians, including 6,000 who have fled the war in neighboring Syria.
Several armed factions including extremist groups have a foothold in the camp which has been plagued for years by intermittent clashes.
Fierce clashes rock Palestinian camp in Lebanon
Fierce clashes rock Palestinian camp in Lebanon
Daesh group militants clash with police during raid in Turkiye, wounding 7 officers
- The clash broke out Monday in Yalova province as police stormed a house where the militants were hiding, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency
- Last week, police detained 115 militants allegedly planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations
ANKARA: Militants of the Daesh group opened fire on police and wounded seven officers during a raid on the group in northwest Turkiye on Monday, the country’s state-run media reported.
The clash broke out in Yalova province, south of Istanbul, as police stormed a house where the militants were hiding, Anadolu Agency said.
Special forces from neighboring Bursa province were dispatched to reinforce the operation.
Anadolu said none of the wounded officers were in serious condition.
Last week, police launched scores of simultaneous raids, detaining 115 militants of the extremist group who were allegedly planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Officials said the group had called for action, particularly against non-Muslims, during the celebrations.
Daesh has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Turkiye in recent years, including a shooting at an Istanbul nightclub during New Year celebrations on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
