Refugee camp attacked

NAHR AL-BARED – Lebanese tanks and artillery battered a Palestinian refugee camp where Islamist militants are holed up for a third day yesterday, amid growing concern for the plight of 40 000 civilians trapped there.

The fighting erupted at dawn at Nahr al-Bared camp near the northern port of Tripoli, Lebanon’s second largest city. The army is attacking Fatah al-Islam, a small al Qaeda-inspired Sunni group that made its base in the camp last year.It has little Lebanese or Palestinian support, but the bombardment of the crowded camp has begun to provoke anger among refugees elsewhere in Lebanon.Residents of Nahr al-Bared appealed for fighting to stop, saying there were 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, told Reuters by telephone.”Children have no milk, water or bread.”For the sake of 10, 20 or 30 individuals an entire camp is being massacred,” he said, weeping over the phone.Speaking from the same number, Aisha Laila, 40, said her five-month-old child had no milk and her three other children were crouched in a corner while bombs hit nearby houses.”Perhaps those Fatah al-Islam are here.But we don’t know them and don’t know where they are.Why are we being bombarded?” A UN aid convoy waited on the outskirts of the camp, but could not enter while the violence continued.At least 22 militants, 32 soldiers and 27 civilians have been killed since the army and Fatah al-Islam began fighting on Sunday, making it Lebanon’s worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.Fifty-five soldiers have also been wounded.In Beirut, a bomb exploded in a shopping area in a mainly Sunni Muslim area on Monday night, wounding at least seven people.It appeared to mirror a blast on Sunday that killed a woman and wounded 10 people in a mainly Christian district.A faxed statement in the name of Fatah al-Islam claimed responsibility for the blasts and threatened more.But Abu Salim, a spokesman for the group, denied it was involved.Crowds gathered at the Palestinian refugee camp of Beddawi, 9 km from Nahr al-Bared, demanding a ceasefire and shouting slogans against the Lebanese army and government.Nampa-ReutersThe army is attacking Fatah al-Islam, a small al Qaeda-inspired Sunni group that made its base in the camp last year.It has little Lebanese or Palestinian support, but the bombardment of the crowded camp has begun to provoke anger among refugees elsewhere in Lebanon.Residents of Nahr al-Bared appealed for fighting to stop, saying there were 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, told Reuters by telephone.”Children have no milk, water or bread.”For the sake of 10, 20 or 30 individuals an entire camp is being massacred,” he said, weeping over the phone.Speaking from the same number, Aisha Laila, 40, said her five-month-old child had no milk and her three other children were crouched in a corner while bombs hit nearby houses.”Perhaps those Fatah al-Islam are here.But we don’t know them and don’t know where they are.Why are we being bombarded?” A UN aid convoy waited on the outskirts of the camp, but could not enter while the violence continued.At least 22 militants, 32 soldiers and 27 civilians have been killed since the army and Fatah al-Islam began fighting on Sunday, making it Lebanon’s worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.Fifty-five soldiers have also been wounded.In Beirut, a bomb exploded in a shopping area in a mainly Sunni Muslim area on Monday night, wounding at least seven people.It appeared to mirror a blast on Sunday that killed a woman and wounded 10 people in a mainly Christian district.A faxed statement in the name of Fatah al-Islam claimed responsibility for the blasts and threatened more.But Abu Salim, a spokesman for the group, denied it was involved.Crowds gathered at the Palestinian refugee camp of Beddawi, 9 km from Nahr al-Bared, demanding a ceasefire and shouting slogans against the Lebanese army and government.Nampa-Reuters