Conflict Incident Report

A Lebanese national was fatally shot on Sunday as shootings disrupted the north Lebanon Beddawi refugee camp for the second day in a row, a source told The Daily Star.

The victim, Ali Shatleh died as a result of a stray bullet during an exchange of fire between the Palestinian security force in the camp and drug dealers. The Palestinian force has been recently cracking down on the drug dealers in the camp.

Sunday morning, the force arrested a member of one of the drug rings in the camp identified as Ayad Alwan and nicknamed as "Matar".

Heavy gunfire accompanied the raid.

Following the incident, Shatleh’s family blocked Baddawi camp’s roads with burning tires, expressing their anger against the fugitives and the drug dealers in the camp.

The gangs also threw a hand grenade at the security force's headquarters in the camp, but it did not detonate.

Another passerby, identified as Mohammad Yassin, was also incidentally shot. He was taken to Al Hilal hospital for treatment.

The Palestinian security force reinforced its deployment in the camp amid a tense standoff. Residents remained at homes and shops were closed.

Lebanese Army heightened its security measures at the camp’s entrances and the surrounding area.

Army units had deployed heavily on Saturday in the vicinity of the camp after an exchange of fire on its premises.

Local media had reported a shooting between the Palestinian security force and an armed group in the camp.

Beddawi is home to more than 16,500 registered refugees, in addition to thousands of displaced Palestinians to the camp from the nearby Nahr al-Bared camp in 2007 following clashes between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam.

More Palestinian refugees arrived from Syria after the onset of the 2011 crisis.

The latest events in Beddawi came weeks after clashes subsided in south Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in Sidon.

Ain al-Hilweh has repeatedly witnessed disputes and security-related incidents.