UN backs Lebanon's fight

Updated 07.43 Tue Jun 12 2007
Keywords: refugee, UN, Lebanon

Lebanon has won the backing of the UN Security council over its battle against Palestinian militants struggling for control of many of the country's refugee camps.

The council also expressed concern at reports of illegal arms crossing from Syria.

The council also expressed "deep concern at mounting information by Israel and other states of illegal movements of arms in Lebanon, and in particular across the Lebanese-Syrian border"

In a policy statement the 15-nation body condemned "ongoing criminal and terrorist acts in Lebanon, including those perpetrated by Fatah-al Islam" militants in Palestinian refugee camps.

At least 136 people have been killed, including 60 soldiers, in three weeks of fighting between Lebanese government troops and the militants, the worst internal clashes since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war.

At the weekend alone, 11 Lebanese soldiers died and more than 100 were wounded in clashes in the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian camp in northern Lebanon near Tripoli.

The council also expressed "deep concern at mounting information by Israel and other states of illegal movements of arms in Lebanon, and in particular across the Lebanese-Syrian border."

The statement said the council "looks forward" to the conclusions of a UN team currently surveying monitoring and security along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

The security council again supported Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's "legitimate and democratically-elected government" and condemned any effort to destabilise Lebanon.

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