The Lebanese army said Wednesday the military has taken over all positions in the new part of the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared, squeezing the Fatah Islam men in a small portion at the southern tip of the shantytown. "All of the buildings in the new part of Nahr al-Bared where the terrorists were dug in have been taken, and one could say fighting has stopped in this area," an army officer told AFP.
The officer, however, said Lebanese forces continued to clear out the remaining pockets of resistance in the camp. The army's artillery kept up its shelling on the camp's southern front, cornering the Islamists in what has been known as the "old camp," which is a small segment on the southern tip of Nahr al-Bared.
"We are advancing meter by meter and are securing the new camp quarter by quarter because of the threat of mines," the army officer said.
As the fighting with Fatah al-Islam continued on Wednesday, mediators hinted at a possible cease-fire deal with the militants that included the disarmament of the al-Qaeda-inspired militants. According to a Palestinian Muslim cleric who has been acting as mediator, the deal would include a cease-fire, to be followed by the militants' disarmament.
The cleric, Sheik Mohammed Haj, told The Associated Press news agency he had a "very positive" meeting with Fatah al-Islam leaders inside the camp but would not give details before a scheduled meeting with the army command on Wednesday.
