The Lebanese army on Thursday used gunships to pound terrorist bunkers in a Palestinian refugee camp and troops advanced across the rubble to uproot Fatah al-Islam militants, the official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

NNA said the gunships fired a total of 12 rockets at Fatah al-Islam bunkers as the troops advanced to uproot the remaining militants in the refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared.
 
Clashes erupted again earlier Thursday between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam militants in Nahr al-Bared.

The report quoted sources from within the Palestinian refugee camp as saying that the army killed a number of militants and injured at least three.

The army also found a militant hideout and control sites used by snipers. Locations within Nahr al-Bared where the armed men were holed up are being bombarded, the report added.

Fighting between the army and the militants began on May 20. Sofar, 136 soldiers and dozens of Fatah al-Islam militiamen have been killed.

The army has refused to halt its military offensive before the militants surrender, but the gunmen have vowed to fight to the end.

The Lebanese government lists Fatah al-Islam as a terrorist network aimed at destabilizing Lebanon.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2007)