Security Forces ‘Closely Monitor’ Ain el-Hilweh Amid Fears of Outbreak of Major Violence

Lebanese security forces have gone on alert to “closely monitor” the situation in the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh after the assassination of a bodyguard of Palestinian Armed Struggle chief Mahmoud Issa.

An Nahar daily on Monday quoted informed sources as saying that the security forces are “closely monitoring” the camp amid reports that the tension between the Fatah movement and Islamic militants had reached its climax.

Despite the reports, Issa who also goes by the nom de guerre of al-Lino, told al-Liwaa newspaper that the security situation in the camp is “under control” and that his group was coordinating with Lebanese authorities to guarantee a stable situation.

Al-Lino said on Sunday he suspected that remnants of the Jund al-Sham militant group and Fatah al-Islam killed his bodyguard Amer Fustoq after a masked gunman opened fire on him.

But he stressed “there won’t be any war” saying “there is an insistence to shove the Palestinian factions in a battle whose shrapnel would reach” elsewhere.

His comments came as several families left the camp and headed to the city of Sidon after clashes broke out between different factions. Automatic gunfire could still be heard inside the refugee camp on Sunday evening.

The National News Agency said that a percussion grenade was also tossed near the vegetable market in the camp.

As Safir daily quoted sources of Ain el-Hilweh’s follow-up committee as saying that the situation in the camp has become very dangerous and could “explode.”

An Nahar’s sources also expressed fears that the tension at the shantytown might be linked to the roadside bombing that targeted French peacekeepers near the southern city of Tyre and the rocket that was fired towards Israel but landed instead in Houla.

Last week, another al-Lino bodyguard was killed by a masked gunman.