At least nine people were killed as a result of fights in a Palestinian refugee camp, Ein el-Hilweh, in Lebanon that continued till Monday after a recent eruption of conflicts between opposing Islamist organisations and the Fatah movement.
The Fatah movement, which is led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed that one of the movement's commanders was also among the dead.
According to the UN, the restive Ein el-Hilweh camp which was established in 1948, is the largest in Lebanon with more than 63,000 registered refugees. However, some estimates say the population is higher.
The camp falls outside the control of the Lebanese security forces as it is located close to the southern city of Sidon.
Rival factions within the camp are left to manage the camp's security, but quarrels between them are frequent.
On Saturday, an Islamist group member was killed, leading to tensions continuing until Sunday. Fatah commander Ashraf al-Armouchi and his aides were killed as a result and a ceasefire was agreed upon, but skirmishes continued through the night, AFP reported.
Automatic weapons and anti-tank fire were heard in a camp, causing dozens of residents to flee. Meanwhile, ceasefire negotiations are ongoing, and a local MP is expected to hold a meeting to resolve tensions.
In a statement, Fatah condemned an "abominable and cowardly crime" aimed at undermining the "security and stability" of the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. The Palestinian presidency denounced the fighting, calling the security of the camps a "red line".
"It is not permissible for anyone to intimidate our people and tamper with their security," it said in a statement.
In addition to the nine dead, Lebanese soldiers were also injured during the violence, the Lebanese army said.
According to the BBC, the director of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon (UNRWA), Dorothee Kraus, said all the agency's operations in the camp had been suspended and called on "all militant parties to ensure civilians' safety and respect inviolability of UN premises".
More than 479,000 refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, the agency says. About half live in the country's 12 refugee camps, which have "dire" living conditions, it adds.
Swift informed her 284 million Instagram followers that she planned to vote for Harris
Trump's campaign had earlier said he was safe following gunshots in his vicinity
Horrific explosion left as many as 40 wounded, half of whom suffer third-degree burns, says govt
Floods and landslides kill almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in wake of Typhoon Yagi
US vice president appealed to moderate voters as she emphasised her aim to preserve Americans' gun rights
Taj is poised to become first Pakistani-American to serve as representative in California State Assembly if he succeeds
