As the Lebanese army continues to pound Fatah al-Islam positions at the Nahr el Bared refugee camp, fighting also broke out June 3 with a second Islamist faction, Jund al-Sham [2], at Ein al-Helweh, Lebanon's largest refugee camp. Mediators from other Palestinian groups are attempting to negotiate a ceasefire at Ein al-Helweh.
While there are no apparent organizational links between Jund al-Sham and Fatah al-Islam, BBC reports the two groups have family ties and ideological similarities. They are both said to share an allegiance to al-Qaeda, and reports say one of the leaders of Jund al-Sham is the brother-in-law of a military commander of Fatah al-Islam. (Ya Libnan [3], June 5)
