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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Two more soldiers die in the North Lebanon war with Fatah al-Islam |
| 2007-07-23 |
| Two Lebanese soldiers were killed in renewed battles with Fatah al-Islam terrorists on Sunday as Lebanon's fight against the terrorists entered its 10th week, and the number of soldiers killed hit 115. The Lebanese army took advantage of a lull in fighting Sunday, to continuing clearing a path toward positions manned by Islamist militants, holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp. "Since Saturday evening, there have not been very intense military operations as specialist units continue to de-mine and clear the way," an army spokesman said. "The rest of the time, the army is responding to shooting, and continues to tighten its grip on the remaining terrorists," he added. Security sources said six more soldiers were wounded in the fighting with Fatah al-Islam militants at Nahr al-Bared camp. There was no immediate word on militant casualties. The deaths brought to 115 the number of soldiers killed in the battles that began on May 20. More than 81 militants and at least 41 civilians have also died. The army has pushed slowly into the camp, fighting close-quarter battles with Fatah al-Islam militants after bombarding its positions with artillery and tank fire to try to force the group to surrender. Witnesses said the army concentrated its latest artillery shelling on pockets still held by Fatah al-Islam near the camp's main road and the northeastern area. On Friday the army used loudspeakers to give Islamic extremists inside a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon a final attempt to surrender, as sporadic fighting continued, witnesses and security officials said. The black loudspeakers, which were set up on the roofs of some of the camp's collapsed buildings, were the latest military tactic to pressure Fatah Islam militants holed up inside the Nahr el-Bared camp to turn themselves in. "We are getting closer and closer. You must surrender and you will have a fair trial," the military broadcast repeatedly overnight Thursday and Friday morning, according to the witnesses and security officials. The camp, home to 40,000 refugees before the hostilities, have been completely destroyed and its rebuilding is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Its residents have sought shelter in other Palestinian refugee camps. The Nahr al-Bared violence is undermining stability in Lebanon, already paralyzed by a political crisis and shaken by fatal bombings whose victims include two anti-Syrian politicians and six U.N. peacekeeping troops in the past eight months. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 1 im telling ya... Napalm At this point, flamethrowers would do equally well. A few JDAMS wouldn't hurt, either. Pitty the Lebanese government isn't on better terms with Israel - I'm sure they'd deliver a few for them. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-07-23 18:37 |
| #1 im telling ya... Napalm |
| Posted by: Abu do you love 2007-07-23 13:14 |