Calm Restored in Shatila Camp After Deadly Overnight Clashes

Calm was restored on Wednesday in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila south of Beirut after nightlong armed clashes that left three people dead including two fugitives and an 8-year-old girl, media reports said.

The Lebanese army deployed heavily in the area and managed to control the situation.

Machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades were used in the clashes between group members affiliated to Bilal Akar -one of the most dangerous fugitives in the camp- and a group affiliated to Abou Mohammed Badran, said reports.

Three people were killed including Bilal Akar, Samir Badran and a young girl of eight years old who was identified as Helena. The brother of Bilal Akar was seriously wounded, it was reported.

On Wednesday, member of the political bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Ali Faisal told VDL (93.3) that the situation in the camp has returned to normal after coordination between the Palestinian forces and the Lebanese army.

VDL added that Internal Security Forces in the south arrested a man, identified as Jamal Amer Akar, who was injured in the clashes and taken to a hospital in the southern town of al-Ghazieh. He was handed to police for interrogation and will be referred to the related authorities.