Two more Lebanese troops died on Tuesday as troops pressed their offensive against Islamists in north Lebanon for the fifth week. According to AFP, the troops died in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp where the army has besieged Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam fighters in a battle that has left 140 dead, including 73 soldiers, since it erupted on May 20.
"Two soldiers were killed in fighting this morning," a military spokesman told AFP. Unofficial sources said the two died as a bomb planted by Fatah Islam men exploded. On Monday, the Lebanese military lost three troops as they tried to make safe ordnance in positions that had apparently been booby-trapped by retreating Fatah al-Islam forces.
Early on Tuesday, tanks and artillery pounded the northern seashore sector of the Palestinian camp north of the port city of Tripoli where Fatah al-Islam fighters are believed to be holed up. Since the weekend, the army said it had destroyed or seized control of at least six Fatah al-Islam posts. Both sides also exchanged assault-rifle and machine-gun fire.
The month-long clashes have destroyed much of the northern sector of the camp.
A delegation of mediators entered the camp on Monday in an attempt to secure a unilateral ceasefire from the militants. One of them, Mustapha Dawood, told AFP that the team had come up with a comprehensive plan aimed at securing a ceasefire within 48 hours if the Lebanese army agrees to the terms of the arrangement.
On Tuesday Arab League chief Amr Mussa was expected in Beirut in a new attempt aimed at trying to solve Lebanon's political crisis through dialogue between its anti- and pro-Syrian camps.
