Ain el-Hilweh camp in southern Lebanon
Ain el-Hilweh camp in southern LebanonReuters

A senior Fatah member was killed in southern Lebanon today (Saturday), according to a security official.

The source, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP that "Colonel Talal al-Ourdouni was shot dead by two unidentified men while he was walking in the southern part of Ain al-Hilweh camp." He added that Ourdouni had two bodyguards, one of whom was wounded and the other killed.

Ourdouni was in charge of a security division in Ain al-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. As part of a deal ending the Lebanese civil war, the Lebanese army does not enter refugee camps. Instead, Palestinians are responsible for their own security.

There are a number of rival factions in Ain al-Hilweh, though there is no information yet on who carried out the attack.

Fatah is the largest party within the PLO and is headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.