Joint Palestinian-Syrian military operation to free Yarmouk from Islamic State

[Jefferson23]

4/9/2015

Reports come hours after activists say the camp's only working hospital was targeted by barrel bombs launched by President Assad's forces


A man sits outside a destroyed building in Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp (AFP)


Palestinian factions are to join forces with the Syrian army under President Bashar al-Assad to fight off the Islamic State (IS) group’s advance into a Palestinian refugee camp.

Fourteen Palestinian factions said on Thursday that they will back a joint military operation with the Syrian government to expel the IS fighters, who began attacking Yarmouk Camp last week.

The groups support "a security solution that will be carried out in partnership with the Syrian state and will have as its priority maintaining the security of citizens," Palestine Liberation Organisation official Ahmed Majdalani said.

Fierce fighting between Palestinian fighters and IS militants broke out on 1 April in Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp built in the 1950s to house up to 150,000 people.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/joint-palestinian-syrian-military-operation-free-yarmouk-islamic-state-1818265154

[oberliner]

1. PLO rejects military offensive in Yarmouk refugee camp

The Palestine Liberation Organisation said on Thursday that it refuses to be involved in any military offensive in the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, calling to resort to other means to protect the Palestinian people.

"We refuse to be drawn into any armed campaign, whatever its nature or cover, and we call for resorting to other means to spare the blood of our people and prevent more destruction and displacement for our people of the camp" the PLO's Executive Committee stressed in its statement from Ramallah.

The PLO said that it will cooperate with all stakeholders, especially UNRWA and all parties that have an interest in preserving the camp from more devastation and horrors to stop all forms of aggression and armed actions.

The statement said the PLO is keen to maintain equal relations with all parties.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/17971-plo-rejects-military-offensive-in-yarmouk-refugee-camp