Artillery shelling against the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon resumed on Friday, as fighting broke out between the army and Fatah al-Islam fighters. As tanks surrounded the camp, artillery struck the north and north-west entrances of the camp, gearing-up for a potential ground offensive to draw the 13-day standoff to a close. At least 12 people have been killed within the camp, along with two Lebanese soldiers. [AlJazeera, June 1]
Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker has lambasted the United Nations’ (UN) decision to establish a tribunal to try those suspected of killing former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, exclaiming that the decision ignores the national constitution and the necessity of consensus in the handling of proceedings. [AlJazeera, June 1]
From Madrid11.net Security Briefs, June 1
See our last posts on Lebanon.