4 Palestinian refugees killed in Syria clashes

Four Palestinian refugees were killed Tuesday in the ongoing clashes in Syria, a Palestinian group said. The Workforce for Palestinians in Syria said in a statement that Mir’i Muhammad died shortly after he sustained critical wounds by shrapnel from a shell which landed near Abu Siyam Bakery in the Yarmouk refugee camp. The other three were Palestinian fighters affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command who joined Syrian regime troops in a battle in Sayyida Zeinab refugee camp against the Free Army rebels. The statement identified the victims as Mahmoud Muhammad Thahir, Tariq Muhammad al-Khatib and Salih Hussein al-Sharqi. According to the report, clashes with light weapons broke out in several battlegrounds in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus between the Syrian army and the rebels. Simultaneously, a shell landed in al-Jaouna Street in the camp leaving several people lightly injured. The Huseiniyya refugee camp was hit by several shells in different areas causing material damage, but no human casualties. The camp has been besieged by Syrian regime forces for months causing a serious humanitarian crisis. Residents who remained in the camp say they suffer serious shortages in foods and medicines. Electricity networks and telecommunications were down in the camp for several weeks, according to the report. Sbeina refugee camp south of Damascus was hit by shells overnight Tuesday in tandem with clashes in different areas across the camp between the Syrian regime forces and the Free Army rebels. The statement by the Workforce for Palestinians in Syria highlighted that a fire erupted in an apartment as a result of a shell which hit the apartment overnight. The Syrian regime forces have been attempting to break into the camp for a week. Meanwhile, residents complained that Free Army rebels robbed several houses and stores.