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Death toll climbs in clashes at Palestinian camp in Lebanon
Palestinian Fatah gunmen are seen during clashes with Islamists in Ain al-Hilweh camp Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, South Lebanon, April 9, 2017. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Ali Hashisho
09/04/2017
SIDON, Lebanon (Reuters) - A member of the Palestinian Fatah faction was killed in factional clashes at the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Sunday, a Fatah official said, as fighting that has killed at least four people, raged for a third day.
At least four people have been killed and dozens more people wounded in the latest round of fighting, pitching Fatah and other Palestinian groups against hard line Sunni Islamists known as the Badr group.
Fatah is led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Clashes have erupted intermittently in recent months in Ain al-Hilweh. The latest round began on Friday when a joint security force grouping the main Palestinian factions met resistance from Badr fighters as it tried to deploy in the camp.
Mortar bombs have been fired in the most recent clashes, some of the most ferocious between the sides to date.
Lebanon's Palestinian camps mainly fall outside the jurisdiction of the Lebanese security services. There are some 450,000 Palestinian refugees living in 12 refugee camps in Lebanon.
(Writing by Tom Perry. Editing by Jane Merriman)
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