Lebanese army poised to storm refugee camp

Under an artillery cover, dozens of Lebanese army tanks and armour massed outside a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon today, apparently poised to storm Islamic militants hiding inside.

About 50 armoured carriers and tanks massed at the northern edge of the camp and drove toward, according to an APTN television crew at the scene. But it was not clear whether they were already making a push.

Military officials at the high command would not comment.

Plumes of smoke rose out of the Nahr el-Bared camp outside Tripoli where Fatah Islam militants have been hiding in a 13-day siege by the Lebanese army.

The concentrated bombardment began in the morning, targeting all parts of the camp.

Sporadic gunfire exchanges have continued daily since a truce halted three days of heavy fighting.

A Lebanese soldier was killed by Islamic militants' sniper fire yesterday.

The death raised to 32 the number of soldiers killed since fighting between the army and Fatah Islam militants began on May 20. At least 20 civilians and about 60 militants have also been killed.

The army has ringed the Nahr el-Bared camp with hundreds of soldiers, backed by artillery and tanks, poised to storm the camp and prevent militants from fleeing. The government has vowed to crush the militants, who have said they will fight to the end.

Thousands of Palestinians have fled from the camp, but thousands more are still inside, along with the Fatah Islam fighters.

Yesterday, army commander General Michel Suleiman toured the military positions around the Nahr el-Bared camp, vowing to track down the militants responsible for killing the soldiers.

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