Army “tightens its grip” on Fatah al Islam, while Christians pray for peace
Beirut (AsiaNews) – Two soldiers were killed in a grenade attack last night in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al Bared, north Lebanon, which has been the stage of violent battles between the Lebanese army and Al Qaeda linked - Fatah al Islam rebels for over two weeks. Thus the death toll rises to 105 people killed since May 20th when the crises broke; among those over 40 are soldiers and civilians. Today the Beirut forces are tightening their grip around the refugee camp, while authorities say they are determined to bring the “battle” to a close, and regain control of the zone. According to AsiaNews sources on the round, the army already controls over half of Nahr al Bared. The military has repeated its appeal for lives to be spared and for an end to the bloodshed of the innocent, for women and children to be allowed to leave the camp, but Fatah al Islam appears to be deaf to all compromise. According to military commanders already the “most of the rebel positions” inside and outside Nahr al Bared have been destroyed. A 1969 agreement forbids the army entry to the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, which host over 400 thousand refugees.
Meanwhile the humanitarian situation in Nahr al Bared has reached crises point. 25 thousand of the 40 thousand residents have fled the violence: 5 thousand are prisoners in their homes; numerous families have been forced to seek refuge together under the same roof where sanitary conditions are limited; “corpses bitter the streets”, the Palestinians lament.
Yesterday a prayer vigil for peace was held throughout the country: in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, in Zouk Mosbeh, the vigil was accompanied by the annual procession which announces the beginning of the month of the Sacred Heart; the many faithful gathered for the celebration asked that “Merciful God protect the army and sow the seeds of peace”. In the monastery of St.Charbel in Annata a mass for peace in Lebanon was also offered.
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