Death toll mounts as Lebanon troops pound militants

[bridgit]

Source: Khaleej Times

'NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon - Lebanese troops pounded Islamist fighters in a Palestinian refugee camp on Monday, the second day of the deadliest explosion of violence since the civil war that has now killed 55 people and raised deep concerns about Lebanon’s fragile security.

Nine Palestinian civilians were killed in the shelling of the Nahr Al Bared camp in northern Lebanon where the army is battling militants from the shadowy Fatah al-Islam group, a camp medic said.

Plumes of thick black smoke rose from the camp, which has been turned into a war zone by ferocious gunbattles on Monday between soldiers and Fatah al-Islam, a group accused of links to Al Qaeda and Syrian intelligence services.

Lebanese leaders have vowed they would take “all necessary measures” to restore order after the fighting that left 46 people on Sunday alone.

Troops were locked in heavy exchanges of artillery and machinegun fire with militants in Nahr al-Bared, where buildings have been burnt or destroyed and local officials are fearful for the plight of refugees.'

Read more: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/May/middleeast_May350.xml§ion=middleeast

[dave_p]

1. Hezbollah backs army operation

From Beirut's excellent Daily Star:

Hizbullah also condemned attacks against the army and security forces "from whatever side they come." The party's statement stressed the role of the army in preserving internal peace in the country. The statement highlighted the need for civilians, Lebanese and Palestinians alike, to stay out of the fighting.

In a separate statement Sunday, Reform and Change bloc* leader MP Michel Aoun said it was a black day when the army is targeted by guests on its own territory while seeking to establish security and stability. Aoun said the government had not learned lessons from the past.

"In addition to the letter we sent to the UN secretary general in which we noted the growing danger of terrorist organizations on the ground, we warned the current government many times not to let this danger to grow unchecked, but we got no response," Aoun said.
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* The Christian-led grouping allied to Hezbollah

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Surprising from Hezbollah. I guess they wan't to be the only

force for instibility in Lebanon. Also shows that the only people Arabs hate more than Israelis are the Palestinians.

[dave_p]

3. Fatah backs the army too

It's nothing to do with hating Palestinians: it's everything to do with the fact that virtually all Lebanon - including Hezbollah - doesn't want aQ jihadis in the country.

[ButterflyBlood]

4. It makes sense

Hezbollah are Shiite, if these nuts are aligned with Al-Qaeda they have to be Sunni. Sunni extremists basically consider Shiites to infidel heretics who are the worst people on the planet and a thousand times worse than any other infidels, even Israel.