Lebanon

      Lebanese troops battled al Qaida-linked militants based in a Palestinian refugee camp on Sunday and at least 48 people were killed in Lebanon's bloodiest internal fighting since the 1975-90 civil war. Fatah al-Islam, a Sunni group, said the army had launched an unprovoked attack. "We warn the Lebanese army of the consequences of continuing the provocative acts against our mujahideen",Fatah al-Islam said in a statement, but the authenticity could not be verified. A cabinet minister said the fighting with Fatah al-Islam, which the government says is backed by Syria, seemed timed to try to derail UN moves to set up an international court to try those suspected of carrying out political killings in Lebanon. Syria also denies any link to Fatah al-Islam, whose leader, Shaker al-Abssi, says the group has no organizational links to al Qaeda but agrees with its aim of fighting “infidels”. Twenty-three soldiers and 19 militants died in the clashes, which erupted before dawn at the Nahr al-Bared camp and spread into the nearby Sunni Muslim city of Tripoli in north Lebanon. More than 27 soldiers were wounded. A cabinet minister said the fighting with Fatah al-Islam, which the government says is backed by Syria, seemed timed to try to derail UN moves to set up an international court to try those suspected of carrying out political killings in Lebanon.(20,18)