It took place in the northern coastal city of Tripoli between pro-Syrian Palestinian militant factions and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Yassir Arafat.

His critics also accused him of no longer properly opposing "reactionary Arab regimes", including Lebanon's government,[7] and of protecting officers who had displayed gross cowardice or incompetence during the 1982 Israeli invasion.

[6][8] In the next months, several PLO battalions in northern Lebanon started to rally behind Said al-Muragha, whereupon Arafat responded by expelling him and other critics from leadership positions.

[6] Faced with growing unrest among Palestinian guerrillas in Lebanon, Arafat returned to the country in May 1983, intending to counter the rebellion led by Musa Awad ("Abu Akram") of the Libyan-backed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC).

Arafat and his loyalists initially believed that they could easily deal with the dissidents, but the latter began to receive covert support from Syria and thus rapidly grew in strength.

[11] In contrast, hardline anti-Arafat groups like the PFLP-GC, as-Sa'iqa, and the Abu Nidal Organization exploited the situation and actively aided the PLO dissidents.

[11] Lebanese media claimed that commanders of the anti-PLO Palestinian factions proceeded to meet in Damascus, planning a final offensive against the PLO.

[13] In early November, anti-PLO Palestinian factions and Syrian troops,[6] reportedly backed by Libyan forces, started to assault PLO positions in the outskirts of Tripoli, most importantly Beddawi and Nahr al-Bared.

[9] The anti-Arafat forces included Said al-Muragha's followers, the PFLP,[9] PFLP-GC, as-Sa'iqa, the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA),[14] and the Abu Nidal Organization.

[13] Arafat called upon other Islamic countries to assist the PLO to avoid "a new massacre",[9] believing that international pressure would force Damascus to accept him as the legitimate leader and stop the fighting.

[15] However, Arab support for the PLO was mostly confined to statements of denunciation by Iraq towards the Syrian actions[16] and Egypt sending an arms shipment to Arafat's forces.

[1][2] On 9 November, a ceasefire was agreed upon, while negotiations between the PLO, the anti-Arafat groups, and Syria were initiated under mediation by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Lebanese third parties such as statesman Rashid Karami,[18] and the Arab League.

[2] The Syrian Armed Forces then surrounded Tripoli itself and initiated an artillery and aerial bombardment, displacing many civilians and destroying three ships in the harbor.

[2] Arafat's followers began a counter-attack at Beddawi on 18 November; the operation lasted for three days, but produced few tangible results aside from widespread destruction due to heavy artillery fire.

[1] On 22 November, the Syrian-backed dissidents made major advances at the edges of Tripoli despite heavy resistance by the PLO loyalists, securing the Mallouleh intersection at the city's northern entrance and cutting all roads through the Baal Mohsen quarter which led to Beddawi.

[21] Faced with repeated attacks by the Syrians and allied Palestinians, coupled with the inaction of other countries, Arafat eventually yielded and agreed to a ceasefire as well as evacuation deal at the end of November.

Arafat's forces agreed to leave their heavy weapons behind, including the Katyusha multiple rocket launchers, technicals, recoilless rifles, and antiaircraft guns.

The PLO militants reportedly felt a mixture of frustration and relief, as they had lost the battle and had to move abroad, but at least survived the "devastating artillery siege".

The Syrian role in the battle of Tripoli was strongly criticized by many Sunni Arabs in Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere, regarding it as betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

[22] The battle has exacerbated the division within the PLO and the continued positions of its leadership in moderation and willingness to accept a settlement with Israel that would lead to a Palestinian state over part of it rather than claiming the entire territory of former Mandatory Palestine.

[30] The fight in Tripoli led to the birth of two distinct factions: the Fatah loyalists and a small pro-Iraq group, the Arab Liberation Front, favoring diplomatic initiatives, and a connection with Jordan.

[12] The international reputation of Said al-Muragha as well as his followers was permanently damaged due to the battle of Tripoli, and, aside of Syria, no country would ever accept them as legitimate representatives of the PLO.