Palestinian Colonel shot dead in Lebanese refugee camp

Ourdouni, leader of Fatah's branch in the largest refugee camp in Lebanon, survived previous attempts on his life, but it is unclear if his death is linked to past conflicts or violence from Syria.

Palestinian militants from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militia linked to the Fatah movement, demonstrate against the Hamas government in the West Bank town of Ramallah October 4, 2006. (photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian militants from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militia linked to the Fatah movement, demonstrate against the Hamas government in the West Bank town of Ramallah October 4, 2006.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A senior Fatah member was killed in an apparent assassination on Saturday, in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near the Southern Lebanese city of Sidon, according to Fatah security officials.
"Colonel Talal al-Ourdouni was shot dead by two unidentified men while he was walking in the southern part of Ain al-Hilweh camp," the unidentified Palestinian official told AFP.
"He was accompanied by two bodyguards, one of whom was also killed and the other was wounded," he added.
Ourdouni, who leads Fatah's branch in the largest refugee camp in Lebanon, had survived previous attempts on his life, but it is unclear if his recent demise is linked to past conflicts or is a result of the wider violence gripping Lebanon in light of the chaos in neighboring Syria, where the country's embattled President, Bashar Assad, has been fighting against a myriad of factions, many of whom have crossed over into Lebanon.
In accordance with an agreement dating back to the end of the Lebanese civil war, which ravaged the country from 1975 - 1990, the Lebanese army largely abstains from entering and policing refugee camps such as Ain al-Hilweh, leaving its affairs to be handled by non-state actors.