LEBANON: Lebanese ground artillery push into the Palestinian Nahr Al-Bared camp in Northern Lebanon

Record ID: 375001

  • Title: LEBANON: Lebanese ground artillery push into the Palestinian Nahr Al-Bared camp in Northern Lebanon
  • Date: 22nd August 2007
  • Summary: (W3) NAHR AL-BARED CAMP, LEBANON (AUGUST 22, 2007) (REUTERS) HELICOPTER FLYING OVER THE CAMP /AUDIO OF BLAST / SMOKE RISING FROM THE CAMP VARIOUS OF SHELLING , SMOKE RISING FROM THE CAMP LEBANESE ARMY BULLDOZERS DRIVING HELICOPTER FLYING OVER THE CAMP SMOKE RISING FROM THE CAMP
  • Embargoed: 6th September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA2TTIP0PJD9FUNW07TCP82AXVS
  • Story Text: Lebanese army tanks and helicopters strike a Palestinian camp in northern Lebanon, in a bid to wipe out Islamist militants holed up in the camp since the fighting between the two sides erupted on May 20.
    Lebanese army helicopters and tanks struck a Palestinian camp in northern Lebanon on Wednesday (August 22) in a push to wipe out the remaining pockets held by Islamist militants since the fighting between the two sides erupted on May 20.
    On Tuesday (August 21) the Lebanese army agreed to a request from the Islamist militants to let their families out of a Palestinian refugee camp where they have been fighting for three months.
    The Fatah al-Islam group had asked the Palestinian Clerics' Association late on Monday (August 20) to ask for help in arranging a ceasefire in the fighting at Nahr al-Bared camp in north Lebanon so their families could leave, an association member said.
    The army, which has demanded the surrender of the al Qaeda-inspired militants, said it had repeatedly called on the group to let their families to leave but did not say when the civilians might be evacuated.
    Between 40 and 80 civilians, mostly the wives and children of the militants, remain in the camp, Lebanese and Palestinians sources estimate. The camp lies in ruins after tank, artillery and helicopter bombardment.
    Most of the camp's 40,000 refugees fled early on in the fighting which has killed nearly 300 people, making it Lebanon's worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war. The army said it was not clear how many militants remain in the camp.
    A Lebanese soldier was killed in the conflict on Tuesday, bringing the army's overall death toll to 141 since the fighting began security sources said. It is estimated that at least 100 militants and 42 civilians have also been killed.
    Fatah al-Islam split from a Syrian-backed Palestinian faction last year. It says it shares al Qaeda's ideology but has no organisational ties to Osama bin Laden's network.
    The conflict has added to instability in Lebanon, where a political crisis has paralysed government since November.
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