RP 5 opens fire, routs Singapore

NAHR AL-BARED (AFP) - The Lebanese government offered a final chance for a peaceful end to the army's siege of Islamists in a refugee camp as sniper fire stopped all but a few dozen of the thousands of civilians trapped inside from fleeing on Saturday.

Washington confirmed it was rushing military supplies to the Lebanese army but the Lebanese opposition warned the government against getting involved in a US-backed war against the Al-Qaeda-inspired fighters of fringe Palestinian militant group Fatah al-Islam.

Relief agencies expressed growing concern for the 10,000 or so civilians still inside the Nahr al-Bared camp outside Lebanon's second city of Tripoli whom the army has said are being used as "human shields" by the militants.

As a fragile truce unilaterally declared by the militants on Tuesday largely held, Defence Minister Elias Murr said talks were under way to try to reach a negotiated end to the siege.

"We are now giving a chance for political negotiations," he told reporters late on Friday.