Ok, just short, because I have to write an article for my newspaper. I just came back from a meeting with Asbat al Ansar, an Al Qaeda cover organisation based in the Ain el Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in Saida, south Lebanon. It was a bloody scary experience. Me, my interpreter and a colleague are very happy not to be kidnapped by these guys in this maze of little streets and alleys. Situation in the camp very tense. Everywhere armed men, some wearing masks. Most civilians have left. Later more. And some pictures.
Harald Doornbos
Monday, June 04, 2007
2 dead in Saida
Ain el Helweh camp: At least two Lebanese soldiers were killed last night by islamists in Saida. Have no clue if it is quiet now in Saida, but will go there shortly and report later on the situation there.
Nahr el Bared camp: Lebanese army offensive is over for now. Fatah al Islam islamists have been surrounded in a 800 by 800 meters era, the result of an offensive started by the Lebanese army on Friday and Saturday. 'Regular' shelling and sniping is continuing while Lebanese army prepares for a second big push, which might happen in a couple of days.
Harald Doornbos
Nahr el Bared camp: Lebanese army offensive is over for now. Fatah al Islam islamists have been surrounded in a 800 by 800 meters era, the result of an offensive started by the Lebanese army on Friday and Saturday. 'Regular' shelling and sniping is continuing while Lebanese army prepares for a second big push, which might happen in a couple of days.
Harald Doornbos
Clashes resume
Great. This evening I drove to Saida to check out if the Lebanese Army and islamists were fighting around the Ain el Helwe refugee camp. I did not see, nor hear any clashes. Only spotted refugees in the garden of a hospital (see story below). But two hours later, fighting has started again, according to Libancall, a breaking news via SMS service in Lebanon. I'm in Beirut now. And need some sleep. Will check it out tomorrow. Doesn't sound too good though. And I was just getting so used to driving every day from Beirut to Tripoli (Nahr al Bared-camp) in the north....Seems like the story is going south.
Harald Doornbos
Harald Doornbos
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Back from Ain el Helweh
Just came back from Ain el Helweh refugee camp in Saida, from where, earlier this evening, an islamist faction attacked a Lebanese army post.
Situation on Sunday around 22.00 (Lebanese time), as follows:
* It is more or less quiet in and around the camp. Although the situation remains rather tensed, wouldn't describe it as "explosive".
* Lots of army (APC's, light tanks and checkpoints) in the direct vicinity of the refugee camp, which houses between 60.000 and 80.000 Palestinians. Saw around 6 APC's with fresh troops parked at a roundabout, couple of hundred meters from the northern entrance to Ain el Helweh. 10 kms before Saida, just off the main Beirut-Saida highway, the army has set up a checkpoint.
* Around 150 to 250 Palestinian civilians have gathered in the garden of the city hospital, in the center of Saida. Most of them families (lots of kids), who fled the fighting. Except for the confrontation between the islamists and the Lebanese Army (on the outskirts of the camp), there were clashes -inside - between the mainstream Fatah (PLO) and the islamists. Fatah seems to be - for now - more or less in control. Nevertheless, the Palestinian families told me they will spend the night in the garden of the hospital. The Lebanese authorities are thinking of housing them tonight or tomorrow in nearby schools. There might be more refugees (actually these Palestinians are already refugees, so this situation makes them double ones) in the city, but I only saw and spoke to the people in the garden of the hospital. Luckily it's pretty nice weather (around 22 degrees C), so no major drama there. Still, people told me they are very scared the situation here might deteriorate and turn into a second Nahr al Bared-crisis.
Situation on Sunday around 22.00 (Lebanese time), as follows:
* It is more or less quiet in and around the camp. Although the situation remains rather tensed, wouldn't describe it as "explosive".
* Lots of army (APC's, light tanks and checkpoints) in the direct vicinity of the refugee camp, which houses between 60.000 and 80.000 Palestinians. Saw around 6 APC's with fresh troops parked at a roundabout, couple of hundred meters from the northern entrance to Ain el Helweh. 10 kms before Saida, just off the main Beirut-Saida highway, the army has set up a checkpoint.
* Around 150 to 250 Palestinian civilians have gathered in the garden of the city hospital, in the center of Saida. Most of them families (lots of kids), who fled the fighting. Except for the confrontation between the islamists and the Lebanese Army (on the outskirts of the camp), there were clashes -inside - between the mainstream Fatah (PLO) and the islamists. Fatah seems to be - for now - more or less in control. Nevertheless, the Palestinian families told me they will spend the night in the garden of the hospital. The Lebanese authorities are thinking of housing them tonight or tomorrow in nearby schools. There might be more refugees (actually these Palestinians are already refugees, so this situation makes them double ones) in the city, but I only saw and spoke to the people in the garden of the hospital. Luckily it's pretty nice weather (around 22 degrees C), so no major drama there. Still, people told me they are very scared the situation here might deteriorate and turn into a second Nahr al Bared-crisis.
(Picture above: Lebanese woman with child passes hospital garden in Saida where around 200 Palestinian civilians took refuge after fighting erupted in the Ain el Helweh refugee camp - copyright picture: Harald Doornbos)
Harald DoornbosURGENT: Islamists attack army checkpoint
Latest news: Islamists from within the Ain el Helweh refugeecamp in Saida, 35 kilometers south of Beirut, have attacked a post of the Lebanese army, just outside the camp.
Just like the Fatah al Islam attacks in and around Tripoli / Nahr al Bared, the assault started on a Sunday and was unprovoked. Some islamists within the camps obviously want to create even more chaos in Lebanon. This is an extremely dangerous escalation that:
1. Put total strain on the Lebanese army
2. Will - for generations to come - destroy any trust between Lebanese and Palestinians
3. Make it almost impossible for Palestinians to keep on living in Lebanon
4. Create so much chaos in Lebanon, that the central authorities might just implode.
5. Shows what a mess you get if you allow islamofascism within your borders.
What a nightmare....
Harald Doornbos
Just like the Fatah al Islam attacks in and around Tripoli / Nahr al Bared, the assault started on a Sunday and was unprovoked. Some islamists within the camps obviously want to create even more chaos in Lebanon. This is an extremely dangerous escalation that:
1. Put total strain on the Lebanese army
2. Will - for generations to come - destroy any trust between Lebanese and Palestinians
3. Make it almost impossible for Palestinians to keep on living in Lebanon
4. Create so much chaos in Lebanon, that the central authorities might just implode.
5. Shows what a mess you get if you allow islamofascism within your borders.
What a nightmare....
Harald Doornbos
Running around
As I am kind of constantly running around the Nahr al Baret camp, there is hardly a way to update this blog for now.
Just a couple of points:
- Last 24 hours: less heavy shelling and a more machine gun fire. It is obvious that the Lebanese army is getting more and more inside the camp, fighting house to house battles with Fatah al Islam militants.
- The camp is not entirely destroyed (yet), but there is massive damage to buildings.
- Latest death toll (according to my sources): Lebanese government side: 6 killed, 40 wounded. Fatah al Islam side: unknown. Civilians: unknown.
- Two reliable sources told me that parts of Fatah (PLO) inside the Nahr al Baret camp have joined ranks with Fatah al Islam. Percentage of the split is unclear. And beware: this is NOT an independently confirmed report. According to one source: between 1200 and 2000 fighters are now fighting the Lebanese army on a one square kilometer part of the camp (which is still a rather large area).
- Journalists are not allowed inside the camp, we are camping just outside the camp. (Luckily a little bakery is still open, so we at least wont die of hunger).
Harald Doornbos
Just a couple of points:
- Last 24 hours: less heavy shelling and a more machine gun fire. It is obvious that the Lebanese army is getting more and more inside the camp, fighting house to house battles with Fatah al Islam militants.
- The camp is not entirely destroyed (yet), but there is massive damage to buildings.
- Latest death toll (according to my sources): Lebanese government side: 6 killed, 40 wounded. Fatah al Islam side: unknown. Civilians: unknown.
- Two reliable sources told me that parts of Fatah (PLO) inside the Nahr al Baret camp have joined ranks with Fatah al Islam. Percentage of the split is unclear. And beware: this is NOT an independently confirmed report. According to one source: between 1200 and 2000 fighters are now fighting the Lebanese army on a one square kilometer part of the camp (which is still a rather large area).
- Journalists are not allowed inside the camp, we are camping just outside the camp. (Luckily a little bakery is still open, so we at least wont die of hunger).
Harald Doornbos
Friday, June 01, 2007
Gunfire in Hamra, Achrafieh
I just (00.10 Beirut time) heard gunfire coming from the Achrafieh area in east-Beirut. Lasted for around two minutes. At the same time, gunfire reported in Hamra, west-Beirut. This lasted for about ten minutes. Nobody knows what is going on. The UN has 24 hours ago decided to start the Hariri tribunal. So the gunmen might be happy or angry people. All we know for sure, at the moment, is that it were people.
I'm going out now and will check out what actually happened.
Harald Doornbos
I'm going out now and will check out what actually happened.
Harald Doornbos
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