Lebanese army armored vehicles and personnel carriers were reportedly brought on Wednseday to some Bekaa positions close to the Syrian border in the aftermath of shooting which claimed last Tuesday the life of a surveyor working for the army. The surveyor, Mohammad Ismail, was reportedly killed by shots fired from positions manned by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine- General Command, led by Ahmad Jibril and the Fatah Intifada led by Abu Moussa. Both organizations are based in Syria.A statement issued by the army's Orientation Office had earlier dismissed reports that a siege was imposed on some Palestinian posts on the outskirts of the Bekaa border towns of Hilweh and Sultan Yacoub. Last week, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had started a dialogue with Lebanon-based Palestinian militant organizations with the aim of bringing their weapons and ammunition under control and preventing them from being used outside the Palestinian camps. Last week an organization based in the Palestinian camp of Ein el-Hilweh near Sidon clashed with neighboring Lebanese residents. Four people were injured as a result of the clash.
| It's probably a nice change of pace for the Leb troops to do something more productive than fetch coffee for the Syrians. |