Lebanese army pounds militants

Lebanese army troops pounded a refugee camp near Tripoli with artillery fire today, but denied that the barrage was the prelude to a final assault on the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants barricaded inside.

In a statement denying reports that it had announced a final assault, the army said: "The on-going military operations are still in the context of tightening the noose on the gunmen to force them to surrender."