Lebanese troops move in for the kill | World | The Observer

Lebanese troops move in for the kill | World | The Observer: "A new emboldened Beirut government is forcing an end to a 10-day stand-off as negotiations fail

Lebanese troops pushing ever farther into a besieged Palestinian refugee camp vowed to kill any members of the al-Qaeda-linked Fatah al-Islam group inside who did not surrender.

Lebanese officers on the scene said they would continue the assault until all of the militant jihadists were dead, and warned that any civilians who remained in the camp after last week's evacuation would be considered combatants.

The threats came as a Gazelle helicopter fired missiles yesterday and strafed buildings. 'There is no way we will give up our weapons because it is our pride. We cannot even contemplate surrendering,' Abu Salim Taha, a spokesman for the militants, said by telephone from the Nahr al-Bared camp. Those inside reported dire conditions. ' More than 60 per cent of the camp has been destroyed,' Abu Darwish, a resident, said." Read complete post here.