The entrance to the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh, in south Lebanon. (Credit: Muntasser Abdallah / L'Orient-Le Jour)
Tensions have risen in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Saida in southern Lebanon after an assassination attempt on Omar Natour, several local media outlets report. Natour, who is said to be a member of the Bilal Badr group, one of the armed Palestinian factions in the camp, was reportedly shot in the foot and taken to hospital.
According to Lebanese media, rocket fire was recorded in the camp, causing general panic.
"Islamist groups fired randomly at houses in al-Bustan neighborhood and al-Fouqani Street, following reports of an attempt to assassinate a person in al-Safsaf neighborhood," Fatah said in a statement. "We did not respond to the sources of these shots, and we will not be drawn into a circle of fighting," it added.
Some 54,000 Palestinian refugees live in Ain al-Hilweh, the largest in Lebanon, which is the scene of frequent armed clashes between rival groups.