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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Recriminations fly after clashes by Palestinian militiamen |
| 2010-04-11 |
| Recriminations flowed Friday following the armed clashes between Palestinian militiamen in the Bekaa Valley. Internal Security Forces (ISF) confirmed the arrest of four members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), following gun battles at the group's Ain al-Bayda base near the town of Kfar Zabad on Thursday. One person was injured in the incident, which was reportedly the result of an internal PFLP-GC dispute. Initial reports of a death sustained in the fighting were proved false. A statement released late Thursday by the ISF said four members of the group had been arrested following the incident. "Armed clashes broke out with men in the base after which four of the [PFLP-GC]'s militants were arrested," the statement said. The ISF named the detained men as Ali Qassem Araji, Khaled Ramzi Araji -- both Lebanese nationals -- and Palestinians Mahmoud Alyan and Rejeh Saleh. All of the men were close to Colonel Dureid Shaaban, who was recently removed from his PFLP-GC post. It is thought that Thursday's clashes were a result of Shaaban's unwillingness to relinquish his role at the Ain al-Bayda base. The daily Al-Akhbar, citing a security source in the Bekaa, said that the mutiny had begun several days earlier, before spilling outside the compound, and that Lebanese security forces were not involved in internal clashes. The rebellion at Ain Al-Bayda base started several days ago and talks between the rebelling group and the PFLP's command broke down due to financial issues, the paper reported. Debate continued to simmer over who was responsible for the clashes, even after order was restored in the vicinity. LBCI television reported Friday that calm had returned to the area. PFLP-GC media officer Anwar Raja, during an interview with New TV, blamed an ISF intelligence head for the clashes. He also "totally" refuted that "any gunfight or internal clashes among PFLP-GC's members" had occurred. "What was reported by the media is inaccurate and these media leaks are deceptive," Raja added. PFLP-GC senior officer Abu Ramez Imad Mustafa, however, appeared to confirm that fighting had been internal and instigated by Shaaban. "One member of PFLP-GC, who has personal problems with his comrades that he tried to solve in a wrong manner, came with a number of his non-PFLP-GC relatives to the Kfar Zabad base, where clashes took place," he said. "The PFLP-GC was able to arrest four members of this soldier's family and the investigation is under way," he added. The ISF's statement also refuted Raja's claims. "The remarks made by Raja were false, and it would have been better if Raja had examined closely what has been happening in his organization before making his accusations," it said. |
| Posted by:Fred |