Q&A: Crisis in Lebanon

What is going on in Lebanon?


Lebanese troops are bombarding a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city, as they try to flush out an extremist group inspired by al-Qaida called Fatah al-Islam. At least 22 militants, 32 soldiers and 27 civilians have been killed since clashes between the army and Fatah al-Islam began on Sunday, triggering Lebanon's worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.

How did the fighting start?


It was triggered by a raid on an apartment in Tripoli by security forces following a bank robbery. Fatah al-Islam fighters then ambushed soldiers around the Nahr el-Bared camp and in Tripoli, killing 27. The embattled Lebanese government under prime minister Fouad Siniora has decided to stamp out Fatah al-Islam once and for all.

What is Fatah al-Islam?


The group, made up of at least 100 well-armed and highly motivated fighters, emerged in the Nahr el-Bared camp last year. The militants are a Sunni group who say they will fight on until the "last shot". Their leader, Shaker al-Abassi, is a Palestinian who was sentenced to death in Jordan in absentia for the 2002 killing of a US diplomat.

What are conditions like in Nahr el-Bared?


Residents of Nahr al-Bared, home to 31,000 refugees, say there are dead and wounded lying on the streets. "We have seen many wars but never seen bombardment in this way. Entire areas have been destroyed," Jamal Laila, 40, said: "Children have no milk, water or bread. For the sake of 10, 20 or 30 individuals, an entire camp is being massacred."

UN and Red Cross aid workers cannot get into the camp because of the fighting.

Will Lebanese forces enter the camp?


Under a 40-year-old agreement, the Lebanese army is not allowed to enter the country's 12 Palestinian refugee camps, home to more than 215,000 refugees, out of a total of 400,000 Palestinians in the country.

How politically significant is the fighting?


While Fatah al-Islam has little support, the bombardment is angering other Palestinians, who are demanding a ceasefire. Although Palestinians initially opposed the militants, they are now turning against Lebanese troops. Palestinian unrest is the last thing the government needs as it is in the throes of a long-running political crisis. The Hizbullah-backed opposition has been campaigning for the resignation of Mr Siniora's government for months.

Why is the Lebanese government blaming Syria for the latest fighting?


The Siniora government wants the UN security council to create a special tribunal to try those suspected of involvement in the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, the billionaire businessman and architect of Lebanon's reconstruction after the civil war. UN investigators have identified murder suspects close to the top of Syria's security network.

Is the fighting linked to the tribunal?


Syria has said it will refuse to cooperate with Hariri tribunal. Its Lebanese allies, such as Hizbullah, have warned of trouble if the UN goes ahead with the tribunal.
Analysts believe Syria is showing the Lebanese government a taste of things to come by supporting Fatah al-Islam. The Nahr el-Bared camp - more like a poor town - lies only 10 miles from the border with Syria so it is plausible the group is getting supplies from Syria. Two bomb explosions in Beirut in the past few days have compounded the sense of instability in Lebanon.

What does Syria say?


It rejects Fatah al-Islam as it does not serve the Palestinian cause. It also argues that the UN tribunal is being used by the US to undermine Syria and will only destabilise Lebanon. Syria controlled Lebanon for 30 years until 2005 when its troops were forced to withdraw following the Hariri assassination.