Activist's daughter injured in bomb attack

A bomb exploded in a Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon, Lebanon, early today, wounding a teenage girl whose father is a known activist for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Palestinian security officials said.

The motives for the bombing in Ein el-Hilweh were not immediately clear, but the officials said the explosion was near the house of Mahmoud al-Hassini, who is a prominent member of Arafat’s Fatah party.

Al-Hassini’s teenage daughter, Wafaa, was treated in a camp hospital, the officials said.

Sporadic shooting followed the explosion.

Ein el-Hilweh, Lebanon’s largest refugee camp, has been the scene of frequent bombings, assassinations and shootings among Palestinian factions vying for control of the camp.

It is also believed to be the hideout of many fugitives wanted by Lebanese authorities. The Lebanese army controls checkpoints outside the camp, but its troops do not enter.