Nahr al-Bared Update. "Islamists fire rockets in Lebanon camp battle," by Nazih Siddiq for Reuters:
NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon (Reuters) - Islamist militants fired Katyusha rockets at Lebanese villages on Friday, escalating their 8-week-old battle with the army at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.
Security sources said al Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam fighters fired about 18 of the 107 mm rockets which landed several miles away from the Nahr al-Bared camp, wounding two civilians and causing material damage.
They said three Lebanese soldiers died in fresh battles at the camp on Friday. Another soldier wounded in ferocious fighting on Thursday died of his wounds, bringing the military's death toll in the past two days to 10 with 35 soldiers wounded.
[...]
The military, concerned about being sucked into a war of attrition, has stepped up pressure on the coastal camp to force the militants to surrender.
But the well-trained and well-armed militants, some of whom have fought in Iraq or trained to go to fight there, have so far rejected all calls to surrender.
Witnesses said the army was bombarding the battered camp with artillery and tanks. Militants were responding with sniper and rocket fire. Black and grey smoke billowed from the camp's battered buildings, most of which have been reduced to rubble.
A military source said two rockets fired by Fatah al-Islam late on Thursday had killed one civilian.
"Army forces gained control lately of a number of buildings and fortifications the terrorists of Fatah al-Islam used to attack the army and carry out sniper attacks on its positions," an army statement said.
It added that engineering units were clearing the seized buildings from mines and booby traps.
Thursday's fighting was the most ferocious since the Lebanese defense minister declared on June 21 that all major combat operations had ceased at Nahr al-Bared.
At least 97 soldiers, 76 militants and 45 civilians have been killed in fighting with Islamist militants in the camp and other areas since May 20.
WTF, this is a "refugee" camp. From where are these bags getting katyushas?
Maybe the Lebanese are re learning the lesson of allowing these vipers into their country.
Something about which we could learn a lot!
Hmmmm...historical perspective(?)...
1940 alert...Goering changing tactics from bombing airfields, docks and critical infrastructure to outright terror bombing of cities.
The one main difference is...this sounds more likely to be orchestrated in conjunction with syrias maneuvering, in direct conjunction with their proxy, Nasrallah, to position for its impending coup against Lebanon via outright war (watch for July 16ths outcome at the Useless Numbnuts conference, aka, UN).
This has proxy written all over it, just like irans proxies in iraq, saudis proxies of hamas...and yes, chinas proxies like iran.
"Fighting is prescribed upon you, and you dislike it. But it may happen that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that you love a thing which is bad for you. And Allah knows and you know not." (2:216)
They will never stop unless we stop them. That doesn't mean to imprison them or locking them up in Gitmo.
True, sheik...
An old war adage holds true even today...
"You only win a war by exterminating the enemy".
I prefer our more modern lexicon:
"Terminate with extreme prejudice."
Sun Tzu is right, even after all these centuries.
Ya gotta wonder if the Leb Army has offal for brains.
Surround the camp.
Allow 48 hrs for all to leave (checking out the burqua babes)
Then you bomb the crap out of the place till it is level and lifeless.
A good jihadi is a dead one.
Cheaper to rebuild.
"WTF, this is a "refugee" camp. From where are these bags getting katyushas?"3
....they get them from the Palistinians, who get them from Hizbollah (delivered through Egypt by land routes and by boat), who gets them from Iran ( also delivered through Lebanon), who gets them from either China or Russia (delivered mainly by ship, some are delivered by overland routes).....
Russia/China to Iran to Lebanon/Egypt to Gaza and back to Lebanon refugee camps...
...and after firing hundreds of rockets in Lebanon and Israel, the Palistinians still cannot accurately hit anything....