NICOSIA [MENL] -- Al Qaida insurgents and Fatah gunmen are battling for
control of a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon.The two sides are using rocket-propelled grenades and assault weapons in
the Ein Hilwe camp near the coastal city of Sidon. It is the first time that
Al Qaida insurgents are battling Palestinians commanded by Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.At least two people were killed and 12 injured in battles on Tuesday,
termed the bloodiest clash since 1992. Insurgents of the Al Qaida-aligned
Usbat Ansar
movement attacked a Fatah position in Ein Hilwe. The insurgents were said to
have included those who staged an uprising against the Lebanese government
in the town of Dinniyeh in northern Lebanon in 2000 and fled to Ein Hilwe.Arab diplomatic sources said the Fatah offensive was ordered by Arafat.
They said the United States had for months pressed Lebanon to eliminate
suspected Al Qaida strongholds in Ein Hilwe and did not rule out that the
Fatah attack was coordinated with Washington.
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