WRAP Shelling, funeral, tanks going into camp, ADDS more smoke plumes

(2 Jun 2007) SHOTLIST Nahr el-Bared 1. Wide of explosion in refugee camp, building engulfed in smoke 2. Lebanese army post with soldiers firing at militant positions 3. Wide of explosion 4. Lebanese army post 5. Various of explosions, smoke rising UPSOUND Explosions and gunfire Nahr el-Bared 6. Various of Lebanese army armoured vehicles driving into camp Nahr el-Bared 7. Plumes of smoke rising from shelled buildings 8. Skyline of buildings with plume of smoke rising 9. Clouds of debris falling and plumes of smoke after shelling 10. Wide with white tower of mosque in background, seen through plume of smoke Nahr el-Bared 11. Various skyline shots of shelling, smoke Tripoli 12. Wide of funeral procession for Lebanese army soldier Dilal Al Amougi 13. Row of army soldiers saluting coffin 14 Coffin being carried on shoulders of soldiers 15. Wide of mosque 16. Prayers being said next to coffin STORYLINE The Lebanese army, backed by a missile firing helicopter, stepped up its offensive against al-Qaida-inspired militants on Saturday, the second day of a push to flush them out of a Palestinian refugee camp. Army tanks shelled militant hideouts in the Nahr el-Bared camp close by the northern port city of Tripoli, blasting the upper floors of buildings used by Fatah Islam gunmen. But it is understood the armed fighters have vowed to fight to the death. For the first time since the military moved to confront the group on May 20, a Lebanese airforce helicopter was brought in, firing two missiles and strafing militant positions. Thousands of Palestinians have fled the camp, but thousands more are still inside, along with the Fatah Islam fighters. Four more soldiers were killed and ten wounded on Saturday, bringing the army's casualties to six dead and 20 wounded since the Friday start of the offensive. The toll raises to 38 the total number of army personnel killed in the last two weeks. At least 20 civilians and about 60 militants had also been killed prior to Friday's renewed onslaught, but casualties in the camp in the last two days were unknown, as relief organisations were banned from entering. In Tripoli, the funeral of fallen army soldier Dilal Al Amougi took place Saturday. Military personnel carried his coffin through the streets to a mosque where a formal ceremony took place and tributes were paid. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...