Lebanese Vow to Crush Militants

Refugee camp destroyed; residents caught as army fights Fatah al-Islam
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 3, 2007 1:27 PM CDT
Lebanese Vow to Crush Militants
military offensive aimed at crushing the al-Qaida-inspired group. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)   (Associated Press)

The Lebanese army vowed yesterday to continue its attack on Fatah al-Islam members holed up inside a Palestinian refugee camp in Beruit though the camp is now 60 percent demolished. As many as 25,000 of its 31,000 occupants have fled, the Guardian reports, and thousands remain trapped.

The army, which launched a siege of the camp 10 days ago, considers residents who haven't left as combatants. The PLO commander of Lebanon, who tried nominally to negotiate peace, supports the bloody effort. "This is it. We tried to negotiate, but it didn't work," said one special forces officer. "The army will continue until they are all dead. There is no stopping." (More Lebanon stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X