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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Two soldiers killed in north Lebanon camp clashes |
| 2007-08-24 |
| Two Lebanese soldiers were killed in fighting with Islamist militants who have been battling the army in northern Lebanon since May 20, a army source said Thursday. The soldiers died of wounds sustained on Wednesday at the Nahr al- Bared Palestinian refugee camp where the army is trying to crush the remaining members of Fatah al-Islam, a group linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network. The army has so far lost 143 soldiers in the fighting. According to unconfirmed reports from inside the camp, some 120 militants have been killed as well as 42 civilians since the violence erupted three months ago. On Monday, Fatah al-Islam asked Palestinian mediators to seek a ceasefire to allow the evacuation of their family members from inside the devastated camp. The army agreed to the request on Tuesday. But the Palestinian clerics who are carrying out the contacts between the militants and the Lebanese army said they have lost contact with the militants holed up inside the camp since Tuesday and that is why the operation was delayed. One of the mediators, Sheikh Mohammed al-Haj, said he had been unable to reach the militants via telephone since Tuesday. "Now it depends on a phone call so we can organize the evacuation," he said. The number of women and children holed up with the militants is estimated at 70 to 75, he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 At least lebs stopped announcing victory every Tuesday. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-08-24 15:52 |