Fighting intensifies in Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon

BEIRUT – A local Palestinian commander in Lebanon has vowed to crush a small group of extremists in a refugee camp as clashes intensified for a second day and at least one person was killed.

Subhi Abu Arab told the state-run National News Agency Saturday that all factions in the Ein el-Hilweh camp have united against followers of Bilal Badr, saying the only way to end the fighting is for them to surrender.

NNA said the fighting led to the closure of a main highway linking the port city of Sidon with southern Lebanon.

Ein el-Hilweh, the largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, is notoriously lawless and is home to some extremists who sympathize with the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.