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| Lebanon army shells refugee camp | Lebanon army shells refugee camp |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Lebanese army has resumed shelling militants inside a Palestinian refugee camp near the northern city of Tripoli, a day after its last residents fled. | The Lebanese army has resumed shelling militants inside a Palestinian refugee camp near the northern city of Tripoli, a day after its last residents fled. |
| Witnesses said troops had been firing several shells a minute since dawn at Islamist militants from the Fatah al-Islam group inside Nahr al-Bared. | Witnesses said troops had been firing several shells a minute since dawn at Islamist militants from the Fatah al-Islam group inside Nahr al-Bared. |
| Correspondents say it is not clear if the bombardment indicates the beginning of the army's plan to storm the camp. | Correspondents say it is not clear if the bombardment indicates the beginning of the army's plan to storm the camp. |
| At least 80 soldiers and 60 militants have died in seven weeks of fighting. | At least 80 soldiers and 60 militants have died in seven weeks of fighting. |
| About 40 civilians have also been killed in Lebanon's worst internal conflict since the end of the civil war in 1990. | About 40 civilians have also been killed in Lebanon's worst internal conflict since the end of the civil war in 1990. |
| 'Final end' | |
| Clouds of black smoke billowed from the camp after Lebanese troops began bombarding Fatah al-Islam positions inside Nahr al-Bared. | |
| One Lebanese army officer said the shelling marked the beginning of a final assault on the camp. | |
| "Today's bombardment is a first step in the final battle against the terrorist group whose fighters have refused to surrender to the army," he told the AFP news agency. | |
| On Wednesday, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora called for the army to "put a final end" to the "criminal gang" inside the camp. | |
| His warning came after more than 150 of the camp's remaining residents, mostly Palestinian militants, left the camp. | |
| However, relief workers said they had been unable to evacuate around 45 children and 20 women. | |
| Much of Nahr al-Bared, which was previously home to some 30,000 people, has been destroyed in the fighting. |