2007 Conflict in North Lebanon

May 20

The battle began in the early morning of May 20 during a police raid in Tripoli , where Fatah al-Islam militants who had robbed a bank the day before were hiding in one of the houses on suspicion of the authorities. Shootout continued throughout the day. This incident provoked clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared ^[2] . Militants attacked a government troops checkpoint in the camp area, killing several sleeping soldiers, to which the army responded with shelling.

May 21

The next day it was decided to temporarily stop the battles in order to take the dead and wounded away from the collision sites. When the militants opened fire on ambulances, the army began shelling the camp of Nahr al-Bared, where, according to officials, the main positions of Fatah al-Islam were located. Many civilians were killed in the shelling. Among the victims - employees of the UN and the Red Cross .

In the meantime, two explosions occurred in Beirut , the responsibility for which Fatah al-Islam claimed to be responsible ^[3] . In the morning, a car was blown up in a parking lot next to a large ABC supermarket in the Christian district of Ashrafia . One woman died (she was crushed by a fallen wall), 10 people were injured. In the evening, a car was also blown up near the Russian Cultural Center. 7 people were injured, none of the Russians was hurt ^[4] .

May 22

At dawn on May 22, insurgents renew attacks on army positions. The artillery bombardment of Nahr al-Barid is again being conducted, the militants respond with machine-gun fire. Then it was decided to cut off the supply of electricity, water and any medicines to the camp. In the afternoon, the group announced that from 14:30 local time it would adhere to a one-sided truce ^[5] .

In the evening, fighting in the Palestinian refugee camp was resumed. While trying to deliver humanitarian aid to the camp, a convoy of UN peacekeeping forces was fired upon. 1 person was injured.

As of 18:00 on May 22, the total number of victims was more than 80 people ^[6] .

May 23

On the night of May 23, thousands of residents of Nahr el-Barida took advantage of a lull and began to leave the camp en masse. Most of them headed to the nearby Bedawi camp. The truce was broken in the early morning, when militants again attacked a UN convoy with humanitarian aid. By evening, about 15,000 people had left Nahr-el-Bared, half the population.

May 24

On May 24, some Fatah al-Islam militants attempted to break through the blockade of the camp and escape by sea. Two boats with Palestinians were soon noticed by the ships of the Lebanese Navy and were destroyed. All militants died.

June 2

The forces of the Lebanese government forces entered the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp ^[7] .

August 8

The Palestinian group Fatah al-Islam, associated with the international terrorist network Al-Qaeda, acknowledged the death of the deputy ringleader of the group Abu Huraira. Lebanon’s Minister of Information, Razi Aridi, said at the time that Abu Hurayrah, a Lebanese citizen, whose real name is Shihab al-Qaddur, was killed in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared a few days ago. He stressed that the Minister of Internal Affairs of Lebanon, Hassan Sabei, reported to the government about the destruction of "number 2" in the organization "Fatah al-Islam." The location of the leader of the organization, Shakir Yusuf Absi, was still unknown. A police spokesman said that the terrorist leader was killed 5 days ago when two militants on a motorcycle opened fire on a police checkpoint in Abu Samra, after which they tried to escape. The police responded with fire, injuring the driver and killing his passenger. The identification of Abu Hurayra was carried out on the basis of DNA samples from his parents living in the northern province of Akkar. The terrorist’s parents also identified him. On this day, during the fighting, militants killed two soldiers of the Lebanese army.

August 31

Lebanese helicopters stepped up attacks on the Palestinian Nahr al-Bared refugee camp after terrorists killed five Lebanese army personnel. The Lebanese Air Force launched several missile strikes against targets in the Sa'as quarter, in which the Fatah al-Islam militants entrenched themselves.

September 2

The Lebanese army took control of the Palestinian refugee camp Nahr al-Bared. During the ensuing clashes, over 30 terrorists of the Fatah al-Islam group were killed, and five Lebanese soldiers were also killed. This part of the terrorists was destroyed while trying to escape from the camp, most of which had already passed under the control of the military. Soldiers are searching for fugitive terrorists in the villages adjacent to Nahr al-Bared. A spokesman for the head of the Lebanese government said in an interview with the Air Force that the resistance of the militants had been broken and that the camp had come under the control of the military. Lebanese troops celebrated this victory with gun salutes.

Since May 20, more than 300 people have died in fighting clashes of the army with terrorists: at least 154 soldiers, 120 terrorists and 42 civilians. About 40,000 people were forced to leave their homes.

Data on losses as of September 4, 2007:

• Lebanese Armed Forces - 160 people;
• militants and civilians - 220 people

• Civil war in lebanon

• BBC photo report