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| Lebanon PM welcomes end of siege | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Lebanese PM Fuad Siniora has declared victory over terrorism, after the army took control of Nahr al-Bared refugee camp following months of fighting. | |
| Troops had been battling Fatah al-Islam militants at the camp since May but took the group's last positions after its remaining fighters tried to flee. | |
| Soldiers have begun searching for militants who escaped from the camp. | |
| Officials said 37 Fatah al-Islam gunmen and five soldiers died on Sunday. More than 300 people died during the siege. | |
| Troops fired celebratory shots to signal the end of the stand-off, which had forced nearly 40,000 Palestinian refugees to flee the camp. | |
| FATAH AL-ISLAM Split from Palestinian group Fatah al-Intifada in late 2006In May, had 150-200 armed men in Nahr al-Bared campDenies al-Qaeda links but says it endorses its ideasHas links with Syrian intelligence, Lebanon saysNot clear where leader Shaker al-Abssi now is class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/6676369.stm">Profile: Fatah al-Islam class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/6975181.stm">In pictures: Army's victory "It is a great success that the Lebanese army has achieved over the terrorists, those who sought chaos, destruction and tragedies for Lebanon," Mr Siniora said in a televised address to the nation. | |
| He said the Lebanese government would rebuild Nahr al-Bared but added that the camp would be placed under the authority of "only the Lebanese state". | |
| Troops are still hunting for any escaped militants in the surrounding area of northern Lebanon and the army issued a statement appealing to residents of nearby villages to help in the search. | Troops are still hunting for any escaped militants in the surrounding area of northern Lebanon and the army issued a statement appealing to residents of nearby villages to help in the search. |
| Army officials said troops were no longer encountering any resistance and have moved inside the camp and are searching for booby traps and unexploded ordinance there. | Army officials said troops were no longer encountering any resistance and have moved inside the camp and are searching for booby traps and unexploded ordinance there. |
| A BBC correspondent in Lebanon says the fighting at the camp has been the worst internal violence in Lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990. | A BBC correspondent in Lebanon says the fighting at the camp has been the worst internal violence in Lebanon since the end of the civil war in 1990. |
| Fatah al-Islam, which has been linked to al-Qaeda, emerged in 2006 when it split from Fatah al-Intifada (Fatah Uprising), a Syrian-backed Palestinian group based in Lebanon. | Fatah al-Islam, which has been linked to al-Qaeda, emerged in 2006 when it split from Fatah al-Intifada (Fatah Uprising), a Syrian-backed Palestinian group based in Lebanon. |
| The Lebanese government has also linked Fatah al-Islam to the Syrian intelligence services. Officials in Damascus and Fatah al-Islam deny the connection. | The Lebanese government has also linked Fatah al-Islam to the Syrian intelligence services. Officials in Damascus and Fatah al-Islam deny the connection. |