Wanted Fattah al-Islam new leader Abdul Rahman Awad escaped from Ain el-Helwe Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon to Iraq five days ago, Hezbollah's al-Manar TV reported Monday.
Awad is believed to have taken over the leadership of Fattah al-Islam, which is linked to al-Qaida and has been accused of involving in deadly bomb attacks in August and September targeting the Lebanese army in the northern city of Tripoli.
The TV reported that Awad left the camp last week, and will soon appear on a videotape that was recorded before he escaped.
However, local media on Monday morning quoted security sources as saying that Awad was still in the camp and is refusing to surrender to the Lebanese authorities.
Earlier last week, the Lebanese army ordered Palestinian officials in the camp to hand him over to avoid a drastic showdown similar to what happened at Naher al-Barid refugee camp in 2007.
The Lebanese army carried out a 15-week operation in May 2007 to hunt down Fattah al-Islam militants in Naher al-Barid camp, with some 400 people been killed and the camp completely destroyed.
Source:Xinhua
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