Lebanon launches assault against militants

BEIRUT, Lebanon-The Lebanese army pounded a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon with heavy artillery Thursday in what one high-ranking Lebanese security source described as a final bid to oust the Islamist militants entrenched inside.The Lebanese army, however, denied the shelling constituted a final push, describing the operation as continued pressure on the militants.Fighting around the coastal Nahr al-Bared camp has been simmering on and off for about eight weeks, but flared Thursday as fresh army reinforcements were brought into the area as part of a final assault, the source said.The sounds of artillery could be heard as black smoke billowed over the bombed-out refugee camp, some from fires triggered by the shelling.
The Lebanese army said they had killed a number of militants in the renewed clashes, but were unsure how many remained holed up inside.Since the beginning of the assault against the Fatah al-Islam fighters-which are said to have ties with al Qaeda-scores of militants and at least 88 Lebanese service members have been killed.The army said another soldier was killed on Tuesday by sniper fire coming from within the camp-a tactic that has become a danger for troops in the area. A number of soldiers have been killed by snipers before, the army said.
The sometimes-fierce battles mark the worst internal violence since the end of Lebanon's civil war in 1990.
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http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/07/12/lebanon.unrest/index.html
As in the days of Noah....