BEIRUT, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Abdul Rahman Awad, new leader of the militant group Fattah al-Islam is still hiding inside Ain el-Helwe Palestinian camp in South Lebanon, local media reported Monday.

    Lebanese security sources were quoted as saying that Awad is still residing in the camp and the army's search is underway to find him, amid a possible "security operation with minimum loss of human lives."

    Awad, a senior member of Fattah al-Islam militant group, is known as the "Prince of al-Qaida" for his fundamentalist ideology and links to international Islamist network. He has been linked to deadly explosions in Tripoli north of Lebanon and in Damascus.

    Moderate Palestinian groups in Ain el-Helwe camp are "having trouble" persuading Islamists rivals to hand over Awad, while Palestinian leaders in the camp admitted that the handover could "take some time," according to the reports.

    The Lebanese army warned last week that Awad and his companions must be captured to avoid a repeat of what happened at Naher al-Barid camp in North Lebanon in 2007 when the army launched a major operation to capture Fattah al-Islam militants there.

    The 15-week battle at Naher al-Barid left 400 people killed, including 170 army soldiers, with the camp completely destroyed and more than 30,000 people became homeless.