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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Lebanon
Index
Just as relative calm was restored to Christian East Beirut,
fighting broke out again in Muslim West Beirut. Under Syria's
aegis, the Shia Amal organization attempted to consolidate its
control over West Beirut. Amal struck first in an April 15 assault
that routed the once-formidable Sunni Murabitun militia of the
Independent Nasserite Movement in a matter of days and sent its
leader, Ibrahim Kulaylat, into exile. Then it turned its attention
to the Palestinians in the refugee camps of Sabra, Shatila, and
Burj al Barajinah. The Palestinians, with indirect support from the
Druzes, put up stiff resistance against the Amal attacks, however.
Although some 500 Palestinians were killed in the battles and about
25,000 took refuge in Druze-controlled areas, the Palestinians
retained control of the camps. But the Palestinians were confined
to their camps by an Amal siege that was to last on and off for
another two years before Syrian forces dispersed the Shias.
Data as of December 1987
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