lashes resume between factions in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp

lashes resume between factions in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp

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lashes resume between factions in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp

SIDON, Lebanon (AP) — Clashes resumed in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp overnight, with heavy gunfire and shelling wounding at least 20 people and prompting residents of the camp and the surrounding area to flee on Friday.

Earlier this summer, there were several days of street battles in the Ein el-Hilweh camp between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement and Islamist groups after Fatah accused the Islamists of gunning down one of their military generals on July 30. Those street battles left at least 13 dead and dozens wounded, and forced hundreds to flee from their homes.

An uneasy truce has been in place since Aug. 3, but clashes were widely expected to resume as the Islamist groups have not handed over the accused killers of the Fatah general, Mohammad “Abu Ashraf” al-Armoushi to the Lebanese judiciary, as demanded by a committee of Palestinian factions last month.

The committee announced on Tuesday that their joint security forces would launch raids in search of the accused killers.