Palestinians hurl stones at Army at south Lebanon refugee camp

Several Palestinian residents of the southern refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh hurled stones at the Lebanese Army after the funeral Khaled al-Yousef, who died a day earlier in clashes sparked by unrest at a refugee camp in north Lebanon. Lebanese and Palestinian security forces are holding talks to end the unrest. Hundreds of Palestinians had attacked an army post outside the camp, which is located near the southern coastal city of Sidon, as Palestinian security forces tried to repel them from approaching the station. Two Palestinians were killed by the Lebanese Army in the north Lebanon refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared Monday after infiltrators attacked military posts, security sources said, adding that three soldiers and 10 Palestinians were also wounded. The incident quickly set off clashes in the south’s Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp where Yousef died after falling on a sharp object. Four others and a Lebanese soldier were wounded in the clashes. Earlier Tuesday, Palestinians in the country's refugee camps held a general strike in protest of the deadly clashes between the Lebanese Army and camp residents. Palestinians held a sit-in, erected a tent and blocked the Ayrouniyeh-Baddawi road near Nahr al-Bared. At Ain al-Hilweh, residents burned tires and blocked roads. In both camps, schools and businesses were closed in compliance with the strike. In Ain al-Hilweh, Palestinians asked journalists to leave the camp, blaming media outlets for distorting the facts surrounding the death of Yousef and accusing the army of killing him.