Arab League condemns radical group attacks in northern Lebanon

The Arab League (AL) on Tuesday condemned the violence carried out by the radical Palestinian group of Fatah al-Islam around a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, terming it as "terrorist situation" and "criminal acts".

In a statement released after the AL council meeting, the Cairo- based AL said the radical Palestinian group aimed at threatening Lebanon's security, safety and stability.

The group has noting to do with Palestinian issue or Islam, the AL said, stressing the alienness of the group and expressing support to efforts by the Lebanese government and army to restore security.

However, participants of the AL council meeting called on the Lebanese government to talk with representatives of Palestinian factions to contain the situation and spare Palestinian and Lebanese blood.

The AL council also urged Lebanese political powers to resume national dialogue towards unity in the face of any challenges, said Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, stressing that national unity will guarantee Lebanon's security and stability.

The fighting between the Lebanese troops and militants around a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon entered the third day on Tuesday, killing at least 79 people during the first two days, Lebanese daily the Daily Star reported.

The fighting started at dawn Sunday after security forces raided homes in the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in northern city of Tripoli to arrest suspects in a bank robbery happened one day earlier during which four masked gunmen robbed a bank in the northern town of Amioun and made off with 125,000 U.S. dollars in cash.

Militants from the faction Fatah al-Islam, which based in the refugee camp, then attacked army posts at the camp, sparking the days-long fighting.

Source: Xinhua