Palestinians flee the Palestinian
refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared in northern Lebanon May 22,
2007. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
BEIRUT, May 22 (Xinhua)
-- Around 10,000 of civilians have fled from the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian
refugee camp after a lull finally fell here following three days of fighting
between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants, local TV reported.
Under the cover of darkness, fatigued and terrified
civilians were seen from the TV footage moving from the camp to another one a
few miles to the south of Tripoli. Many were crammed in one vehicle.
The exodus, starting from 7:30 p.m. local time (1630
GMT), came after aid convoys finally managed to enter the Nahr el-Bared
camp after three days of fighting under a cease-fire.
There has been significant damage to buildings and
infrastructure in the camp, with homes, water tanks and mosques all hit.
Palestinian groups say the 40,000 refugees inside the camp are without
electricity.
Deliveries of food and water to the beleaguered
people were earlier halted when shells exploded near a United Nations convoy.
Electricity was cut, too.
At least 24 Islamist militants, 32 Lebanese soldiers
and 30 civilians have been killed since the army and the militant group Fatah
al-Islam began fighting on Sunday in Lebanon's worst internal violence since the
1975-1990 civil war.
BEIRUT, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Fatah al-Islam, the militant
group which has been fighting against government troops for three days in
northern Lebanon, on Tuesday claimed responsibility for two bombs that rocked
Beirut in the past two days and warned of more attacks in the capital.
"As the fighting rages against the Lebanese army in
the area of the camp of Nahr al-Bared, a group of heroic mujahideen has planted
and blown up two explosive charges in the heart of Beirut," the group said in a
statement sent to press. Full story
Lebanese policemen and civil defence
work at the site of an explosion on Verdun street in west Beirut May 21,
2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIRUT, May 21 (Xinhua)-- A car bomb rocked Beirut's Sunni
neighborhood of Verdun on Monday night and caused fire in a nearby building, one
day after a bomb blasted in central Beirut's Christian neighborhood of
Achrafye.
The explosion happened at around 11:00 p.m. local
time (2000 GMT). Splinters of the car and broken glasses from shattered windows
were scattered everywhere within 100 meters of the blast. Full story
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