Lebanese Planes Strafe Palestinian Camp Outside Sidon
Lebanese air force jets strafed a Palestinian refugee camp outside Sidon on Thursday, reporters based in the southern Lebanese city said.
The newsmen reported that one Palestinian was killed and 17 people wounded when the two Hawker Hunter jets fired on the Ein el Hilwa camp with 30-millimeter cannon.
It was the first time Lebanese warplanes had been reported in action in more than a year. Authorities in Beirut declined comment on the reported strafing.
The air attack on the refugee camp came after Palestinian rebels based at the camp joined forces with Muslim militiamen and stormed the Christian village of Darb as Sim, three miles southeast of Sidon. Pillars of smoke were reported rising over the suburb and villagers were reportedly fleeing their homes.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Amin Gemayel met for two hours with Richard W. Murphy, U.S. assistant secretary of state, and discussed the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.
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