The northern entrance to the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. (Credit: Mountasser Abdallah)
BEIRUT— Two hand grenades detonated early Saturday morning in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, almost a month after the start of deadly clashes that left 13 people dead, the National News Agency (NNA) and L'Orient-Le Jour's correspondent in the South reported.
The NNA reported that two blasts occurred in the Palestinian camp "after two hand grenades were fired between two schools in the Tawari' district, with no injuries reported.''
Fatah and the Islamic group Jund el-Cham, two rival Palestinian factions with a presence in Ain al-Hilweh, both issued statements accusing each other of the explosions.
"Jund el-Cham members of Daech [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State organization], most of whom are Syrians occupying UNRWA schools, are continuing their terrorist campaign in the Tawari' neighborhood by throwing two grenades at residents during the night and then accusing the Fatah," stated Fatah on its social media accounts.
"Their aim is to push the inhabitants to demand the lifting of the siege around the neighborhood, to allow individuals to flee the camp and escape justice," continued the statement.
Meanwhile, a statement circulated among Jund el-Cham members on social media networks stating: "Fatah is betraying the inhabitants of Ain al-Hilweh and breaching the agreements reached."
Clashes between Fatah and Islamist groups first broke out in the camp at the end of July. Since then, fighters from the rival factions have positioned themselves in schools within the camp. After the initial clashes, a ceasefire was reached between the parties.
"The content of the agreement [ceasefire] provided for the withdrawal of all armed presence from the camp and the preservation of the area in which the Jund el-Cham are located," Jund al-Cham stated in the same message.
Last week, Fatah accused "terrorist groups" of throwing stones and opening fire from a school in the camp.
On Aug. 22, the Joint Palestinian Action Committee called for security in Ain al-Hilweh and for those "responsible" for the violence to be handed over to authorities.
No one has been arrested to date.