Tel Al-Zaatar leaders claim most escaped

Press, 21 August 1976, Page 6

Tel Al-Zaatar leaders claim most escaped

NZPA-Reuter Beirut The chief defenders of Tel Al-Zaatar Palestinian refugee camp had fought their way out when the camp fell to Right-wing Christian forces a week ago, and escaped to the western Leftist-held part of Beirut, their leader said yesterday.

Major Salman, commander in the enclave in east Beirut which contained the camp, said his men had left in order and by units. They had averaged 14 to 20 hours forced march through the thickly wooded Monteverde region east of the camp, he said.

Major Salman said that none of the 1000 militiamen defending Tel Al-Zaatar had been captured, except a few seriously wounded. The others had forced their way through the forest by

strength of numbers, he said

Christian sources admitted that there had been fighting in Monteverde after Tel AlZaatar had fallen, but said several groups of Palestinians and Leftists had been killed or captured. Major Salman did not say how many men got through to West Beirut, but they were believed to number several dozen. They included Mr Salah Zeidan, leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Mr Abdel Muhsen, a political commissioner of Fatah, the largest guerrilla movement. Some of the camp’s defenders are known to have been executed after the final offensive by Christian Rightists last Thursday. Others were captured, and Red Cross officials who entered the ruins of Tel AlZaatar later said they saw some 30 prisoners, but were

allowed to interview only a dozen. Christian sources later said that between 100 and 150 Leftists were still in pockets of resistance, but observers estimated that the figure was exaggerated. Gunners on both sides of divided Beirut- have bombarded residential areas of the city, despite a partial agreement to stop the carnage. The Palestinians and the Right-wing Phalangist Party agreed three days ago to stop the indiscriminate shelling of residential districts which has caused heavy civilian casualties on both sides over recent months. But other fighting groups on each side had no part in the truce, and Rightist radio stations said that at least 15 civilians were killed by Leftist and Palestinian shellfire on Thursday.

Shelling continued in the mountainous upper Mtein district some 30 kilometres east of the capital as Rightists and Palestinians continued to build up their forces for a battle which seems likely unless the Palestinians withdraw their fighters after negotiations-. The Leftist-Palestinian alliance has held the towns of Aintoura and Mtein, and Mount Sannin, for several months, cutting the road linking Rightist-held coastal areas with east Lebanon and Syria.

'Mr Kamal Jumblatt. leader of the main Leftist bloc in the war, said at a rally three days ago that the mountain battle would be “decisive and final,” and told his largely Druze audience: “We would rather see you dead than humiliated.”