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August 8, 2007

Lebanonwire

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Lebanon army captures weapons, ammunition from siege camp; 1 soldier killed

BEIRUT, Lebanon - The Lebanese army announced Tuesday that troops have seized a large number of weapons and ammunition in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon where it has been fighting Islamic militants for more than two months.

Also Tuesday, Fatah Islam militants fired two rockets from the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp, located near the northern port city of Tripoli, at the nearby town of Deir Amar but no casualties were reported, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The rocket attack came two days after a similar incident killed a Lebanese civilian and wounded another in the nearby town of Bebnine.

The army command also said Tuesday that one soldier was killed Monday, raising the number of troops who have died since the fighting erupted on May 20 to 134.

"Troops were able to capture, as they advanced, a large number of weapons, ammunition and military equipment including dozens of rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades," the army statement said. "This is in addition to a mortar, a number of shells, rockets and mines."

The government announced Monday that police killed the Fatah Islam deputy commander, Shehab al-Qaddour, who is also known as Abu Hureira. Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said he was killed a few days ago by police in Tripoli.

The Nahr el-Bared fighting has dragged on and is Lebanon's worst internal violence since the 1975-90 civil war. In addition to the soldiers killed, an undetermined number of militants — at least 60 — and more than 20 civilians lost their lives.

The army has refused to halt its offensive until the militants completely surrender, but the gunmen have vowed to fight to the death.

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