Lebanese soldiers fire on Palestinian refugees, killing two
Lebanese troops opened fire at angry Palestinian demonstrators trying to march back home to their besieged camp in northern Lebanon today, killing two, the state-run National News Agency said.
Virginia La Guardia, an official with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Beirut, citing Red Crescent figures, confirmed the deaths and said 29 people were also injured outside the Beddawi refugee camp.
The NNA report said young Lebanese civilians joined the melee in support of the army, engaging in fistfights with the Palestinians.
Amer Lubbani, 23, said he was among the hundreds of men, women and children taking part in a “peaceful, organised march".
The troops refused to let the crowd through, firing in the air.
So the demonstrators staged a sit-in on the road across from the checkpoint.
When one demonstrator got up, Lubbani said the troops opened fire on the crowd, causing panic.
As the demonstrators ran away, he said he could see some people down on the ground.
They were carried to hospitals by the fleeing Palestinians.
