BAALBEK (Lebanon), Sept 4: A Lebanese soldier and three Palestinians were killed in a clash on Wednesday between the army and the Abu Nidal group at a refugee camp in Syrian-patrolled eastern Lebanon.

Fourteen Palestinians were also wounded in the Lebanese army’s first raid on a Palestinian camp in the country in 32 years, they said.

Calm had returned to the camp by midday, but Lebanese Interior Minister Elias Murr sent an ultimatum, warning that “if the assassin of the soldier is not handed over, there will be escalation”.

The soldier, who belonged to an armoured vehicle transport unit, was hit in the forehead by a bullet fired by Palestinian fighters inside the Al-Jalil camp, near the ancient city of Baalbek, a Lebanese security source said.

Three Palestinian civilians were killed in the fighting.

The clash left 14 other Palestinians wounded.—AFP