Bilal Akar, wanted for several crimes, and Samir Badran died in the clashes. Even a little girl was hit by a stray bullet. Tension remains high in the area. Economic issues behind the violence. The army takes over control of the area.
Beirut (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Three killed Palestinians, including a child, are reported to have been killed in heavy armed clashes that took place yesterday evening in Palestinian refugee camp Sabra, on the outskirts of Beirut (Lebanon) . The violence involved opposing factions of Palestinians housed inside the center, located in the southern suburbs of the capital.
According to the official Ani agency, the clashes involved the group headed by Bilal Akar, one of the most dangerous fugitives in the camp, and the faction of Abou Mohammad Badran.
Bilal Akar (wanted by authorities for several offenses) and Samir Badran, a member of the Badran faction, died in the shootout. The third victim is the daughter of the latter, Hiléné, struck by a stray bullet.
Bilal's brother was seriously injured and admitted to the Sahel General Hospital in a "critical" condition according to the medical bulletin.
The clash between the two men triggered a spiral of violence between the two groups, which is still ongoing. The Lebanese authorities have deployed the army around the perimeter of the refugee camp in an attempt to reassert control of the area and restore calm.
Sources inside the camp, speaking on condition of anonymity, report that the violence was sparked over questions of money and control of the territory. Several dozen supporters of the Bilal faction stormed the hospital to get information on their leaders, but were dispersed by the military. At present the situation is still precarious.
Sabra refugee camp (and Shatila, where the 1982 massacre occurred) houses hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled in 1948 after the first Israeli-Palestinian war. More than 1,000 refugees have abandoned by Syria since the beginning of the conflict there in March 2011. There are frequent cases of epidemics in the refugee camps due to precarious hygienic conditions. Added to this is malnutrition and scarcity of drinking water.