Truce agreed in north Lebanon clashes-Islamic Jihad

BEIRUT, May 21 (Reuters) A ceasefire to end battles between Lebanese troops and al Qaeda-inspired militants in northern Lebanon was agreed today, the representative of a Palestinian faction in Lebanon told Reuters.

''There is an agreement for a ceasefire which has already gone into effect and we hope that this is a permanent ceasefire,'' Abu Emad al-Refaie, Islamic Jihad's representative in Lebanon, told Reuters.

''Once all hostilities stop, Fatah al-Islam should evacuate all its newly acquired positions and end any appearance of arms,'' he said.

Fatah al-Islam is a Palestinian-led militant group based in the Nahr al-Bared camp, home to 40,000 Palestinian refugees, and has been fighting with the army since yesterday.

Witnesses said the clashes had died down but there was still sporadic gunfire.

REUTERS KK PM0131