Posted on 05/20/2007 4:44:10 AM PDT by Cornpone
NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon (Reuters) - Lebanese troops battled al Qaeda-linked militants in northern Lebanon on Sunday and at least 11 people were killed, seven of them soldiers, security sources said.
They said the fighting broke out between the Lebanese army and members of the Fatah al-Islam militant group after security forces raided homes in Tripoli to arrest suspects accused of robbing a bank in the city a day earlier.
Three soldiers were killed in the clashes at the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp. The militants also attacked an army patrol in the Koura region of northern Lebanon, killing four soldiers, a senior security official said.
Four Fatah al-Islam fighters had been killed in the camp, which is home to 40,000 Palestinian refugees and near Tripoli.
The army had tightened its grip around Nahr al-Bared camp since authorities charged Fatah al-Islam members with twin bus bombings in a Christian area near Beirut in February. Three civilians were killed by the bombs.
The Lebanese government has accused Fatah al-Islam, a Palestinian-led group that broke away from the Syrian-backed Fatah al-Intifada last year of being linked to the Syrian government. Syria denied the charge.
Cabinet minister Ahmad Fatfat, speaking in Tripoli, linked the violence to what he said were efforts to derail U.N. moves to set up an international tribunal for suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
A U.N. probe has implicated Syria and Lebanese officials in the Hariri killing. Damascus denies any involvement.
"There is someone trying to create security chaos to say to world public opinion: 'Look, if the tribunal is established, there will be security trouble in Lebanon,'" Fatfat told Lebanon's pro-government Future TV.
The United States, France and Britain last week circulated a draft U.N. resolution that would unilaterally set up the court.
ARMY SENDS IN REINFORCEMENTS
The rattle of assault rifles and machineguns could be heard, and thuds from explosions rocked the Nahr al-Bared area after the fighting broke out before dawn. Residents were trapped indoors and movement in the camp was dangerous.
The army sent in reinforcements to the outskirts of camp.
An army statement said Fatah al-Islam had attacked army posts around the camp and in northern Tripoli. The army is not allowed into the camp under a 38-year-old agreement with the Palestinian leadership.
Security forces also clashed with gunmen in Tripoli itself while trying to arrest Fatah al-Islam members suspected of robbing a bank on Saturday, officials said. Four members of the security forces were wounded in the clashes in Lebanon's third largest city, security sources said.
Fatah al-Islam statements have appeared on Islamist Web sites known to publish al Qaeda statements. The group was formed last year by fighters who broke off from the pro-Syrian Fatah Uprising group.
TRIPOLI, Lebanon - Lebanese forces engaged in heavy gunbattles with al-Qaida-styled Islamic militants in Tripoli and a nearby Palestinian refugee camp on Sunday, officials said, in the worst violence to hit the northern city in two decades.
At least 11 Lebanese soldiers were killed outside the refugee camp, the military said.
TV reports indicated at least three militants died in the fighting, which involved tank and grenade fire. ...
Onze militaires libanais, sept combattants d'un groupuscule extrémiste palestinien, et un civil ont été tués lors de combats à Tripoli. D'importants renforts militaires sont arrivés sur place.
Ping: al Qaeda in Lebanon doing Assad’s bidding ping.
It’s going to come to a head. The sooner the better.
Thanks for your pings. Appreciate the heads up.
That is all part of the Syrian and Iranian terrorist regimes plan to destabilize Lebanon, Iraq, and the whole Middle East. These Fath Al Islam terrorists came to Lebanon via Syria and there are supported and trained by the Syrian terrorist regime. Of course the Syrian and Lebanon also have Hibzallah a much bigger and more dangerous terrorist group in Lebanon that not only can cause death and destruction in Lebanon but also in the whole region.
Of course the Syrian and Lebanon= I mean the Syrians and the Iranians.
At first glance I thought it said Fats Domino fights back.
Man. The battle of blueberry Hill was a bitch.
The links may be positively established. The shoe does seem to fit the foot.
It’s just another front in the Islamfascists continued expansion...
Unfortunatley for them, they’ve had quite a bit of contraction as well, courtesy of the USA.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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Lebanese Troops Battle Militants
( with alleged links to al-Qaida in the northern city of Tripoli)
Las Vegas Sun | May 19, 2007 at 21:50:5 PDT | SAM F. GHATTAS Associated Press Writer
Posted on 05/20/2007 1:11:54 AM EDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1836602/posts
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