Sunday, May 20, 2007

Open attack on Lebanese Military Posts, Fatah al-Islam

Reuters offer up dramatic footage of military assualt against Fatah al-Islam.

The backstory looks like more of the same in the on-going political crisis in Lebanon:

The army sent in reinforcements to the outskirts of the camp where
smoke could be seen rising into the air. The army is not allowed into
Palestinian camps under a 1969 Arab agreement.

An army statement said the clashes began when Fatah al-Islam attacked army posts around the camp and in northern Tripoli.

Security forces had also been trying to arrest Fatah al-Islam
members suspected of robbing a bank on Saturday, security sources said.
A group of suspected Fatah al-Islam members had been detained, the
sources said.

Security forces clashed with gunmen in Tripoli itself while trying
to arrest Fatah al-Islam members holed up in a building in the
predominantly Sunni Muslim city, which is Lebanon’s second largest.

Fatah al-Islam was formed last year by fighters who broke off from the Syria-backed Fatah Uprising group.

Its leader, Shaker al-Abssi, told Reuters in March his group’s main
mission was to reform the Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon
according to Islamic sharia law before confronting Israel.

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