SIDON, Lebanon: A joint Palestinian elite force was deployed to Sidon’s Mieh Mieh refugee camp Tuesday in an attempt to maintain stability in the volatile area following successes in the nearby Ain al-Hilweh camp. The force was launched in Mieh Mieh by the Higher Palestinian Security Committee, which supervises security forces in Palestinian camps across the country, after members held a meeting in the camp.
The 45-member force will be headed by Fatah Movement Col. Khaled Saqr, with Hamas official Ahmad al-Khatib acting as the deputy.
As in Ain al-Hilweh, Mieh Mieh’s elite force will be made up of the camp’s various factions including the Fatah Movement, Hamas, Ansar Allah and the Palestinian Liberation Front.
A 150-member joint elite force was launched last summer in Ain al-Hilweh, Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, following tensions and a fragile security situation. However, since its deployment the security situation within the camp has markedly improved.
The force’s deployment comes at a crucial time when the camp’s leadership fears spillover from the Syrian civil war would find its way into the camp with extremists reportedly taking refuge there.
“You [elite force] should unite in order to preserve the security and stability of this [Mieh Mieh] camp,” said Maj. Gen Sobhi Abu Arab, head of the Palestinian National Security. “We hope that all our people in this camp will contribute to the work of this elite force.”
Speaking during the launch, Abu Arab also recognized the role played by the Lebanese Army Intelligence and the security forces to facilitate the deployment of the force.
Maj. Gen. Munir al-Maqdah, head of the joint Palestinian security forces in Lebanon, emphasized that the Palestinian camps would work together to preserve Lebanon’s stability.
“Our camps will stand by the principle of non-interference in Lebanon’s [internal] affairs and be a positive factor in this dear country,” Maqdah said, adding that they would continue to protect the camps and neighboring areas.
The joint elite force will also be deployed in the other Palestinian refugee camps, Maqdah added.
Earlier this month, it was announced that camps in Beirut would soon see their own elite forces once deployment in Mieh Mieh was complete. Beirut’s refugee camps of Burj al-Barajneh and Shatila are next in line for of the security measure.
Meanwhile, the elite force in Ain al-Hilweh is expected to see more recruits and training. The force will also widen its area of operations by expanding to other areas in the camp, including the neighborhood of Hittn, where a number of prominent Islamists are believed to reside.
The Higher Palestinian Security Committee was also able to reach a preliminary deal with the Lebanese Army allowing construction material to enter the camp.
No comments:
Post a Comment