BEIRUT, Lebanon - An international human rights watchdog called Wednesday for a Lebanese government inquiry into reports of looting and human rights abuses inside a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

The Nahr el-Bared camp near the northern port city of Tripoli was nearly completely destroyed during over three months of clashes this summer between the Lebanese army and an al-Qaida-inspired Islamic extremist group, Fatah Islam, whose fighters were barricaded inside.

London-based Amnesty International said in a statement it has written to Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, appealing for an "urgent, independent investigation" into emerging reports from Nahr el-Bared.

The battles, which ended Sept. 2 with the collapse of Fatah Islam and the army's takeover of the camp, left 168 soldiers dead and dozens of militants and Palestinian civilians killed.

The looting and rights abuses reports pertain to the time after the army's takeover.

"According to a variety of sources, since the army took control of the camp in early September, there has been widespread looting, burning and vandalism of vacated Palestinian homes and property in Nahr al-Bared, adding to the devastation caused during the fighting," said Amnesty.

"Many homes are reported to have been looted of their most valuable possessions, such as televisions, fridges, washing-machines, jewelry and money ... A number of homes also appear to have been deliberately set on fire," the statement added.

It also cited reports of harassment, beatings and abuse of Palestinian refugees by the army — such as Palestinian men being forced to lick Lebanese soldiers' boots — and said the walls of many homes reportedly were daubed with anti-Palestinian graffiti.

Lebanese government officials could not be immediately reached for comment, while a senior army officer said he had "no comment" on Amnesty's report.

Since the fighting ended, the army has barred journalists from entering the camp except on one occasion, when reporters were able to inspect a 500 meter stretch of the camp's northern section in late September. The army said the area beyond that remains littered with mines and unexploded ordnance.

Still, some photos have emerged from the camp and some were published in local newspapers, depicting racist anti-Palestinian graffiti sprayed on Nahr el-Bared buildings and walls.

Amnesty also questioned the reasons for the government's denial of media and observer access to the camp.

The Lebanese government has estimated that US$249 million (€176 million) would be needed to rebuild Nahr el-Bared. At a donor's conference in Beirut last month, Saniora said another US$55 million (€39 million) were needed for emergency relief for the camp. -AP