Lebanon Steps Up Assault on Refugee Camp Militants

Lebanese troops shelled a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon today after al-Qaida-inspired militants killed two soldiers in the fiercest fighting at the site for weeks.

The shelling began just before dawn and hours after more than 150 civilians fled on foot from the coastal Nahr al-Bared camp, as soldiers ringing the neighborhood moved up tanks and armored vehicles.

At least 207 people have been killed in the two-month battle between Lebanese troops and Fatah al-Islam militants, in the worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.

Witnesses said the army was bombarding the camp from all sides, often at a rate of seven to 10 shells a minute. Black smoke billowed from inside the camp's bombed-out, smoldering buildings.

Military officials denied that today's fighting was the "decisive" battle.

"These are normal daily operations and in response to sniper fire by the Fatah al-Islam militants," an official told Reuters. "The army's response is in the framework of tightening the noose on remaining elements of Fatah al-Islam inside the camp."

Today's fighting was the fiercest since the Lebanese defence minister declared late last month that all major combat operations had ceased at Nahr al-Bared.

Security officials said two Lebanese soldiers were killed by sniper fire in the clashes that started early in the morning, bringing the total army death toll to 89. Seventy-five militants and 43 civilians have also been killed in the fighting, which began on May 20.

The violence has further undermined stability in Lebanon, already in the throes of an eight- month-old political crisis that has been compounded by bombings in and around Beirut. The country has yet to recover from a war between Israel and Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas that broke out a year ago.