Lebanese Fighting Worst Since Civil War
CBNNews.com
May 22, 2007
CBNNews.com - Heavy smoke could be seen for miles as Lebanese troops battled for a second day a militant group suspected of ties to al-Qaeda holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli.
A brief truce between the Lebanese Army and Palestinian militants allowed wounded civilians to evacuate - but fighting quickly resumed. Fighting stopped briefly to allow the evacuation of 18 wounded civilians.
"There are many wounded. We're under siege. There is a shortage of bread, medicine and electricity. There are children under the rubble," Sana Abu Faraj, a refugee, told Al-Jazeera television by cell phone from the camp.
Palestinian officials reported at least nine civilians were killed and 40 wounded in today's attacks. Those figures could not be confirmed.
On Sunday, the death toll was close to 50. A bomb near a mall in the Christian sector of the capital killed a woman and wounded 12 other people. It was not known how many civilians have been killed inside the camp.
Today, the White House said it supports Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora in his efforts to stop the fighting. The State Department also defended the Lebanese army, saying it was working against the "provocations by violent extremists" operating in the camp.
"This is a group that has been involved in violence to achieve whatever their stated objective may be," spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The battle was an unprecedented showdown between the Lebanese army and militant groups. Lebanese troops have been battling against a group called Fatah Islam, whose leader has said he is inspired by Osama bin Laden. The group is led by a Palestinian named Shaker al-Absi, who is wanted in three countries.
One man killed during the fighting was also a suspect in a failed German train bombing. Officials identified the suspect as Saddam El-Hajdib, the fourth-highest ranking official in the Fatah Islam group, an official said.
The clashes were triggered Sunday when police raided suspected Fatah Islam hideouts, searching for men wanted in a recent bank robbery.
Lebanon has struggled to defeat armed groups, especially inside the 12 Palestinian refugee camps housing 350,000 people. Some of these camps have become havens for Islamic militants accused sending recruits to fight against U.S. forces in Iraq.
Source: CBN News, Associated Press
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