AIN AL-HILWEH
AIN AL-HILWEH
Key factions
Key factions in the Ain al-Hilweh conflict:
Fatah. Headed by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. It is the most powerful faction in Ain al-Hilweh, and seeks an independent Palestinian state.
Esbat al-Ansar. A radical Sunni Muslim group that once received funds from emissaries of Osama bin Laden. Supported the Dinnieh rebels in their confrontation with the Lebanese Army. A leadership change appears to have moderated the group's tone. The group's goal is to spread its version of Islam.
Jamaat al Nour. The Group of the Light, a hard-line splinter from Esbat al-Ansar that is protecting the Dinnieh insurgents. Considers Fatah and other groups seeking to hand the Dinnieh rebels over to the Lebanese to be infidels and has sworn to fight any attempt to oust them from the camp. The group has no formal goal or agenda beyond supporting the militant Islam of bin Laden.
Other groups in the camp include Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP and the Al Aqsa Brigades.
Source: Christian Science Monitor