Lebanese Near Militant Strongholds

Traffic passes along a main road as smoke rises from buildings during fighting in the Palestinian Nahr el-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli, Lebanon, Monday, June 18, 2007. Fierce fighting erupted in and around the besieged camp in northern Lebanon on Monday as Lebanese troops resumed bombardment of al-Qaida-inspired militants barricaded inside. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (Matt Dunham - AP)

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Lebanese troops inched toward Islamic militant strongholds in a north Lebanon Palestinian refugee camp Tuesday as mediators hinted at a possible cease-fire deal that includes the disarmament of the al-Qaida-inspired militants.

Two Lebanese soldiers became the latest victims of the battle around the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp near the northern city of Tripoli that began on May 20, security officials said.

As the battle with the Fatah Islam group continued, mediators gave indications that a cease-fire deal with the militants was a possibility.

According to a Palestinian Muslim cleric who has been acting as mediator, the deal would include a cease-fire, to be followed by the militants' disarmament.

The cleric, Sheik Mohammed Haj, told The Associated Press he had a "very positive" meeting with Fatah Islam leaders inside the camp Monday but would not give details before a scheduled meeting with the army command on Wednesday.

He earlier told the official Lebanese news agency that the militants agreed to conditions of his Palestinian Scholars Association.

The cleric did not offer more details, but the private New TV station said the conditions also include return of refugees, takeover of the camp by other Palestinian factions and Fatah Islam's dissolution.

Meanwhile, Abu Imad Rifai, a representative of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, told Al-Manar television that the progress was made after Fatah Islam "opened the doors for a solution" and accepted to "dissolve."

The army had said its decision to eliminate Fatah Islam was "final and irreversible," and the militants had pledged to fight to death rather than comply by the army's request that they surrender.

The fighting in Nahr el-Bared comes amid a bitter standoff between the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and the opposition led by the militant Hezbollah group.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa began a three-day visit to Beirut on Tuesday to hold meetings with rival politicians in an attempt to help find solution to the political crisis.

"Negative winds are blowing in every direction. The Lebanese, and we all, must help to protect Lebanon from these dangerous winds," Moussa said upon arrival at Beirut's airport.