Suleiman: Army Measures at Nahr al-Bared Stem from Keenness on Safety of Residents
President Michel Suleiman said Saturday that the measures taken by the Lebanese army stem from its keenness on the safety of the residents of the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in northern Lebanon.
His statement came after Palestinian factions and religious leaders at Nahr al-Bared urged the Lebanese army leadership to investigate the killing of a Palestinian during a confrontation outside the shantytown.
In a statement released following a meeting they held at the camp, the conferees condemned Friday’s “random shooting of soldiers on peaceful protesters that led to the death of Palestinian Ahmed Qassem who was a passer-by during the protest.”
They also urged the army leadership to take the necessary measures to limit tension and form an investigative committee to probe the incident, the worst since the 2007 clashes between the army and Fatah al-Islam gunmen.
The National News Agency said Friday that the incident occurred after a crowd of Palestinians surrounded and hurled rocks at the soldiers at the camp’s northern entrance for detaining a young man who didn’t have identification papers.
A crowd of several hundred residents then cut the main road through Nahr al-Bared with burning tires.
The statement issued by the factions also said that the Palestinians at the camp “are not in a state of hostility with the army and are eager for the best of relations.”
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