Beirut – George Shahin
The death of Ashraf Al-Qaderi, one of al-Lino’s bodyguards – Commander of the Palestinian Armed Struggle in Lebanon Mahmoud Issa – in the camp of Ain al-Hilweh, led to Palestinian tension within the camp. A security source said that an unidentified person shot Al-Qaderi inside the camp. He was hit by several bullets necessitating his transfer to al-Nedaa Hospital where he later died. A Palestinian official told ‘Arabstoday’ that the deceased is a 28 year old lieutenant officer who was shot at his house near Khaled Bin Waleed mosque in the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp. The refugee camp witnessed a state of unrest, with a heavy presence of Fatah, particularly since rumors circulated that the killer was from a Palestinian extremist group based in one of the camps’ neighborhood, outside the control of Palestinian security officials. Information stated that there is ongoing communication to deliver the shooter to Lebanese security forces, who are deployed at the entrances of the camp and who imposed a tight security cordon to prevent the spread of chaos to surrounding areas. Meanwhile, a follow-up committee is to hold a meeting at Al-Lino’s house to contain the tense situation. In a separate incident sources told ‘Arabstoday’ that a Palestinian group found an explosive device inside a vehicle intended to sell accessories in the camp. The device was dismantled by elements of the Armed Struggle.