Lebanon continues attack on Palestinian 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.

Many in Lebanon believed the army would be able to crush the Fatah Islam militants inside the Nahr el-Bared camp quickly, but after three days of fierce battle using artillery and tanks, the troops continued to face strong resistance.

The relentless bombardment threatens to anger Palestinians in the country’s other refugee camps, a possible recipe for spreading violence.

Near the southern city of Sidon today, suspected members of the militant Islamic group, Jund al-Sham, fired a rocket-propelled-grenade at a Lebanese army checkpoint outside a Palestinian refugee camp, wounding at least five people, security officials said.

Earlier in the day, back at Nahr el-Bared, some 30 Palestinian and Lebanese women came from the nearby Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp to protest at the army’s shelling.

The Lebanese government repeated its demand for the militants in Nahr el-Bared to surrender, but Fatah Islam’s deputy leader defied the call.

“This is not only impossible, this is unthinkable. Our blood is cheaper than handing over our weapons and surrendering,” said Abu Hureira, a Lebanese whose real name is Shehab al-Qaddour. He also denied the army had made significant progress in its offensive.

“I am still in the same position since the war began,” Abu Hureira said. “Our morals are high and the army did not make any advance.”

During the day, tanks and artillery pounded Fatah Islam positions on the northern edge of Nahr el-Bared, located on the outskirts of the northern Lebanese port city, sending up plumes of white and grey smoke.

According to press photographer near the camp, a Fatah Islam sniper could be seen moving from one blown up building to another, as Lebanese troops bombarded the damaged structure from where he was shooting.

Lebanese security officials said a Fatah Islam militant was firing rocket-propelled grenades at army positions from the minaret of a mosque. It was not clear if the army was going to strike the minaret.

Lebanese security officials said that Nahr el-Bared had been strategically divided into three zones. The army was controlling one zone, the militants held another, while Palestinian civilians and guerrillas controlled the third and were refusing the militants sanctuary, they said.

Fatah Islam spokesman Abu Salim Taha said five Fatah Islam members, including a senior leader, have been killed and seven wounded since Friday, when the latest army offensive began.

He also said Fatah Islam militants ambushed an advancing Lebanese force today, pushing it back a few metres amid heavy fighting on the north and north-eastern edges of the camp.

A senior Lebanese army officer said nine Lebanese troops have been killed since Friday, and several others wounded.

The casualties raised the army’s death toll to 44 since the stand-off began two weeks ago. At least 20 civilians and about 60 militants have also been killed, but casualties in the camp in the last three days were unknown because relief organisations were banned from entering.

The army alleged the armed militants had taken up positions in the camp mosques and humanitarian centres, holding civilians as “human shields.”

It was not clear how the military knew this or how many Palestinians were used as human shields. The militants have denied the accusation.

Officials said today that a senior leader of Fatah Islam, Naim Deeb Ghali, who is also known as Abu Riad, had been killed in the fighting.

Abu Hureira confirmed that Ghali was killed on Friday, but would not say whether he was a senior Fatah Islam official, referring to him only as “a brother.”