Mohammed Zaatari - Daily Star - February 05, 2007
SIDON: Wanted Jund al-Sham militants occupied a preschool in the volatile Taamir neighborhood on Sunday to demand compensation for being forced to flee their homes for fear of capture, less than two weeks after the Lebanese Army deployed in the area after a 30-year absence. Around 15 members of the militant group stormed the headquarters of the Children's Library Association, which is affiliated with the Hariri Foundation in Sidon.Posted on 05 February 2007 @ 18:13 GMTThe headquarters, which includes a daycare center and public library, is located in Taware, a corner of Taamir, adjacent to the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp, that has yet to come under army control.
The preschool was empty when the militants took the building, reportedly destroying furniture and ransacking offices.
Local sources quoted the militants as saying that breaking into the school was intended to inform "all concerned parties" that "we can no longer return to our homes and demand to be compensated or provided with alternative shelter."
The militants left their homes out of fear of arrest by the army on outstanding warrants.
The deployment was repeatedly delayed due to fears that Jund al-Sham would not accept the army presence, which was intended to root out the militant group.
Several clashes between army troops and Jund al-Sham members over the past months have rocked the tiny neighborhood, a virtual security vacuum on the outskirts of Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp.
Several of the militants holed up in the preschool on Sunday brought their families and various pieces of luggage, announcing that they would not clear the building until their demands were met.
Extensive calls and meetings between various Lebanese and Palestinian groups failed to broker a solution on Sunday.
The militants continued to occupy the building as the The Daily Start went to press.
Sidon MP Bahia Hariri was quoted as saying that the takeover would "lead nowhere." Hariri told visitors on Sunday that she would not respond to the militants' demands as long as the group continues to occupy the school.
Jund al-Sham is believed to comprise approximately 40 members, all of whom are wanted by Lebanese authorities for various crimes.