Four Lebanese Soldiers Killed in Refugee Camp Clashes

Al-Qaida-inspired militants killed four Lebanese soldiers today as fierce fighting resumed at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

Security sources told Reuters that another nine soldiers were wounded in clashes at the Nahr al-Bared camp after Fatah al-Islam snipers shot dead two soldiers, unleashing a Lebanese army artillery barrage in response.

The shelling began just before dawn and hours after more than 150 civilians fled on foot from the 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 the 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, and black smoke was seen billowing from inside the camp.

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.

Over 90 Lebanese soldiers have died over the course of the standoff, along with 75 militants and 43 civilians.

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.