Smoke rises from the devastated Nahr al-Bared refugee camp during shelling of the Lebanese army in north Lebanon July 25, 2007. Lebanese troops advanced towards fortified positions of Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday in what political sources said was the start of a final assault to root out the gunmen.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    BEIRUT, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Army on Wednesday intensified shelling of Fatah al-Islam militants holed up in a northern Palestinian camp, local ANB TV reported.

    The Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, some 12 km north of the northern city of Tripoli, on Wednesday witnessed fierce clashes between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam militants, said the report.

    Lebanese troops unleashed a barrage of artillery and tank shells on the positions still held by Fatah al-Islam militants in the camp, and the militants responded with a sporadic barrage, it added.

    A Lebanese military source was quoted as saying that the troops continue to advance to clear mines and explosives, and have cornered the militants into a 200 square-meter area.

    The Lebanese army have been battling the militants of Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Bared camp since May 20. The bloodiest internal violence since the Lebanese 1975-1990 civil war has killed more than 200 people.

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