Lebanese army helicopters stepped up raids today on al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in the country’s north, after five soldiers were killed, a senior military official said.

Lebanese authorities have arrested four Palestinians outside a southern refugee camp who allegedly confessed to planning bombings inside the country, a senior security official said today.

Lebanese troops resumed bombardment of al-Qaida-inspired militants entrenched in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon today.

Three Lebanese soldiers were killed and a fourth was critically injured today while dismantling a bomb placed by al Qaida-inspired Islamic militants in a northern Palestinian refugee camp, officials said.

The Lebanese military today said it had largely defeated al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants, over-running their positions inside a Palestinian refugee camp, but gunfire and artillery blasts continued as troops pursued remaining fighters.

Lebanon’s defence minister declared victory over the Fatah Islam militant group, saying it had been crushed after a month-long military assault on its stronghold in a northern refugee camp.

LEBANESE troops bombed Islamic militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp yesterday, as mediators met senior military officials to discuss a possible ceasefire deal that would disarm the al-Qaida-inspired fighters.

Heavy fighting shattered a brief lull as the Lebanese army continued bombarding suspected hideouts of militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

Sporadic gunfire and artillery shelling rang out from a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon today as the army fought to uproot Fatah Islam militants holed up in the settlement.

Lebanon’s army today pounded al Qaida-inspired Islamic militants hiding in a Palestinian refugee camp in renewed heavy clashes following a few days of intermittent fighting.

Sporadic fighting between Lebanese troops and al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants continued today in a northern Palestinian refugee camp as police, stepping up raids nationwide on suspected militant hideouts, made 13 more arrests.

Lebanese troops pounded Islamic militants hiding in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon today, on the fifth straight day of the military's sustained assault to crush the Fatah Islam fighters.

Clashes between Lebanese troops and Islamic militants spread today to Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp in the south, underlining the complexities the country faces in trying to defeat al Qaida-inspired fighters who are battling a continuing army onslaught in a northern camp.

Lebanon’s army pounded Islamic militant hideouts in a northern Palestinian refugee camp as the military tried to flush out al Qaida-linked fighters who have been hiding there.

Dozens of Lebanese army tanks and armoured carriers today pushed forward under the cover of artillery barrages against Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

Under the cover of artillery barrages, dozens of Lebanese army tanks and armoured carriers today moved against Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

Heavy clashes between the Lebanese army and al Qaida-linked Islamic militants broke a week-long truce as Lebanon’s government stressed its determination to defeat the terrorists.

Palestinian mediators pressed for a negotiated solution to a weeklong siege of a refugee camp in Lebanon, with the Lebanese government demanding the surrender of Islamic militants inside.

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah warned Lebanon not to storm a besieged Palestinian refugee camp, calling instead for a negotiated solution.

A group claiming to be an al-Qaida branch in Syria and Lebanon threatened in an online video today to attack Lebanon's military and its tourist venues if troops do not halt operations against Islamic militants in a Palestinian refugee camp.

Lebanon’s prime minister vowed to wipe out an Islamic militant group barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp, raising the prospect that the army will either storm the camp or dig in for a long siege to force its surrender.

Lebanon's prime minister today vowed to wipe out an Islamic militant group barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp.

A senior official of a radical Palestinian faction today warned that if the Lebanese army launches an assault to wipe out an Islamic militant group barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp, it would trigger violence in other camps.

Hundreds of Palestinian civilians carrying their belongings in plastic bags trickled out of a besieged refugee camp in the Lebanon today after a truce in the fighting mostly held overnight.

People flooded out of a besieged refugee camp in Lebanon last night after three days of fighting between Lebanese troops and Islamic militants.

Artillery and machine gun fire echoed around a crowded Palestinian refugee camp today as fighting resumed between besieging Lebanese troops and Islamic militants holed up inside, ending a nighttime lull.

LEBANESE troops battled Islamist militants based in a Palestinian refugee camp yesterday and more than 40 people were killed in Lebanon’s bloodiest internal fighting since the 1975-90 civil war.