Posted on 07/17/2007 8:52:31 AM PDT by goarmy
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Army troops are making "significant" gains in their long-running battle against al-Qaida-inspired fighters barricaded inside a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, security officials said Tuesday.
But a senior military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, said four soldiers were killed in fighting Monday. The body of a missing soldier also has been found, he said.
The latest deaths raise to 103 the army's death toll since the fighting broke out nearly two months ago.
The security officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to make statements to the media, reported "significant progress" by the troops, saying that militants from the Fatah Islam group were now encircled in an area thought to be no bigger than 500 square yards. They did not elaborate.
Witnesses said the army was using armored bulldozers to push its way into the area where militants are thought to be still holed up. But gunfire and the impact of rocket-propelled grenades could still be heard from inside the camp Tuesday, suggesting that the militants continued to resist the army's advance.
An army statement issued late Monday said troops captured two militants while pursuing the fighters in the camp's old neighborhoods.
The conflict with Fatah Islam militants, which erupted May 20, is Lebanon's worst internal violence since the 1975-90 civil war. At least 60 militants and more than 20 civilians have been killed in the fighting, according to the Lebanese government and U.N. relief officials.
Fatah Al Islami is Al Qaida and Hezbollah is a part of the IRGC.
They are either going to fight for what’s left of Lebanon or form an alliance (which would be ironic).
“Fatah Al Islami is Al Qaida and Hezbollah is a part of the IRGC.”
Yeah, but my heartburn is over the fact that the author does NOT specify that it’s the LEBANESE ARMY embroiled in this battle. This is implied in the last paragraph, but it’s still not made clear.
For the Lebanese Army to lose over 100 soldiers against these thugs should cause some concern about the training and equipment of their Army. They should have been able to crush these guys in a couple of days with minimal casualties. Apparently they have no air support either. Using Artillery sounds a little like WW II tactics. If these guys need our support to maintain their government, they are going to need a lot of training and equipment.
I thought they annouced the battle over and just mop up operations left over two weeks ago. What happened?
If the enemy is truly contained in a 500 sq. yard area as reported, perhaps it is just mopping up left.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.