Families of militants set to leave Lebanon camp

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, Aug 24 (Reuters) The families of Islamist militants battling Lebanese troops for the past three months are likely to be evacuated from a battered Palestinian refugee camp later today, Lebanese security sources said.

''In principle there is an agreement that the evacuation will begin in the afternoon,'' a Lebanese military source said.

''We are waiting for the final word from the militants, through the mediator, and based on that the location and timing of a truce will be specified.'' The al Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam group had asked mediators earlier this week to seek a truce to allow their wives and children to leave the largely destroyed Nahr al-Bared camp.

The army agreed to the request on Tuesday. But due to communication problems, Fatah al-Islam was unable to contact the Palestinian Clerics' Association, which is acting as an intermediary, to organise the evacuation until early today.

The association's Sheikh Mohammed al-Haj said Fatah al-Islam spokesman Abu Salim Taha had contacted the group to seek safe passage for 63 family members -- 22 women and 41 children.

''Naturally, it is expected that there will be a truce to facilitate the evacuation of the civilians. Naturally, women officers will search them once they leave,'' Haj told Reuters.

''We hope this step is the precursor to the surrender of Fatah al-Islam.'' The army has been demanding the unconditional surrender of the Fatah al-Islam militants since the conflict erupted on May 20, taking the lives of nearly 300 people -- the worst internal violence since Lebanon's civil war ended 17 years ago.

Most of the camp's 40,000 residents fled to a nearby Palestinian refugee camp in the early days of the battle.

Fatah al-Islam split from a Syrian-backed Palestinian faction last year. It says it shares al Qaeda's ideology but has no organisational ties to Osama bin Laden's network.

REUTERS PD KN1542