Lebanese soldiers advanced deeper into a Palestinian refugee camp on Monday, seeking to finish an 8-week standoff with al Qaeda-inspired gunmen during which at least 223 people have been killed.
Troops battling Fatah al-Islam fighters moved into Nahr al-Bared camp in north Lebanon on Sunday for the first time since fighting there started on May 20. But the military lost its 100th soldier while doing so and another two were killed overnight, security sources said. At least 81 gunmen and 40 civilians have also been killed.
Meanwhile, a bomb blast targeted a UNIFIL patrol in Qassmiyeh near the southern port city of Tyre, local TV stations reported on Monday. The National News Agency said, however, that a small explosion went off near a permanent UNIFIL checkpoint in Qassmiyeh, causing material damage. No casualties were reported.
