[Yakcutt]

The fighting between the army and the Fatah Islam group erupted in the northern port city of Tripoli and the adjacent Nahr el-Bared camp on May 20. At least 22 soldiers and 17 militants were killed that day _ the worst internal violence in Lebanon since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.

Friday's deaths raised to 34 the number of soldiers killed since fighting between the army and militants began on May 20. At least 20 civilians and about 60 militants also have been killed in the 13 days of fighting, but it was unclear whether there were any civilian casualties Friday.

The Palestinian representative to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, said Friday the army would not storm the camp, where several thousand civilians remain trapped. Nahr el-Bared, like the other 11 Palestinian camps in Lebanon, has been off-limits to Lebanese authorities under a nearly 40-year-old agreement that allowed Palestinians to run their own affairs.

Several hundred militants inside Nahr el-Bared continued to target troops with sniper fire, however, vowing to fight to the death. Political support also has grown for the army to resolve the conflict through military action.

However, limiting the military operation to the camp's perimeter could be an effort to avoid _ at least for now _ enraging Palestinians in other refugee camps across the country.