Three soldiers were killed on Monday as the Lebanese Army pushed on with heavy shelling of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency school complex in this refugee camp, where Fatah al-Islam militants are making a last stand. Security and Palestinian sources told The Daily Star that the remaining Fatah al-Islam members are fighting from within the vicinity of the school, using the facility as a safe haven from shelling and sniper shots from the army.
"Fatah al-Islam members have been stubborn and rejecting initiatives by the Palestinian clerics to arrange a cease-fire and a surrender of the militants," Hamas representative in Nahr al-Bared Abdul Rahim al-Sharif told The Daily Star on Monday. Sharif said Hamas has been acting as the "link" between Fatah al-Islam and the Palestinian clerics and other factions in the camp. "We are an Islamist group, and so they agreed to meet with us and allow us to coordinate meetings between them and those trying to find a solution to the crisis," said Sharif.
Sharif said that Fatah al-Islam members started trickling into Nahr al-Bared during the summer 2006 war - earlier than had previously reported - with the stated intention of "fighting the Jews." "They call everyone heretics, they are extreme in their religious practice," he said. "They even accused us of toeing the line of the Future movement" of MP Saad Hariri, he said.| "They said we had jooties, if you can imagine such a thing." |
One possible truce deal would separate Lebanese and non-Lebanese members of Fatah al-Islam, with Saudis being repatriated to face a hero's welcome trial in their home state, Sharif said, adding that the idea had been rejected by the late, lamented Palestinian head of the group, Shaker Youssef Abssi, and his deputy Abu Hureira.
"Abu Hussein [Abssi] is a quiet man who lacks political vision, and Abu Hureira is loud and may need psychological therapy," said Sharif, who said he saw them both stable alive and healthy on Thursday.| "We played a little H-O-R-S-E, but Hureira cried like a girl when I blocked his layup." |
The army confirmed on Sunday that it had flattened the Samed complex, which had been used as a weapons cache and training center by the militants, and was a few meters from the school where they are currently based. It also said it has full control of what is known as the "new camp" of Nahr al-Bared, more on the outskirts,| Better kbnown by some as the "empty camp" |
and that the militants had formerly controlled the northern triangular area of Taawanyeh cooperative, Samed and Qods mosque. There were reports that the troops are positioned just a few meters away from two other key Fatah al-Islam positions. The National News Agency said Monday that "many bodies" still remain on the streets, and most of them are around the former positions controlled by Fatah al-Islam such as Samed and Taawanyeh cooperative. | Cockles = toasty warm. Please send over some wahhabi popcorn, k? |
The army has reportedly found mass graves where militants buried their dead near Samed center. Judiciary authorities on Monday brought charges against two more accused Fatah al-Islam members, a Palestinian and Saudi, bringing up to 40 the total number of suspected militants accused of terrorism. |