Illustrating the danger of declaring victory prematurely when fighting jihadists. “Lebanese Army pounds Islamic militants,” by Zeina Karam for the Associated Press:
TRIPOLI, Lebanon – The Lebanese army pounded a Palestinian refugee camp with
artillery fire on Thursday, but the military denied reports that the action was part of a final assault on the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants barricaded inside.
The firing began just before dawn and hours after more than 150 civilians fled on foot from the camp in northern Lebanon, as soldiers ringing the neighborhood moved up tanks and armored vehicles.
The army said two soldiers were killed Thursday, bringing the number of military dead to 88 since fighting began at the Nahr el-Bared camp on May 20. Earlier an armored personnel carrier was seen ferrying at least two wounded soldiers out of the camp.
Between five and 10 shells were slamming into the camp every minute. Thick black smoke billowed from deep inside the seaside camp and covered a large area above it.
Heavy machine gun fire could be heard.
In a statement denying reports that it had announced a final assault, the army said that “the ongoing military operations are still in the context of tightening the noose on the gunmen to force them to surrender.”
The violence came on the anniversary of the start of Israel’s war with Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon last summer. In an address to mark the occasion, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora late Wednesday called for “putting a final end” to the standoff at Nahr el-Bared.
The army build up came after a sniper inside Nahr el-Bared killed a soldier overnight and following repeated refusals by the al-Qaida-inspired group Fatah Islam to surrender.
Lebanese officials claimed victory June 21 after soldiers seized Fatah Islam
positions on the camp’s edges, but the militants retreated deeper into the warren of narrow lanes of densely packed buildings and continued to engage in daily fire fights.