Palestinian factions in Lebanon began handing over weapons in refugee camps on Thursday as part of a government plan to bring arms under state control, Lebanese authorities said. In a statement, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office said the first batch of weapons in the Burj al-Barajneh camp, Beirut will be delivered to the Lebanese army.

Lebanon said on Thursday it was launching the planned disarmament of Palestinian factions in refugee camps, part of a wider effort to establish a state monopoly on arms.

Palestinian factions have started handing over some weapons from a refugee camp near Beirut to the Lebanese army. It marks the first step in a plan announced in May during a visit by