Lebanon's Defense Minister Elias Michel Murr on Wednesday sent an ultimatum to the Fatah al-Islam militants who holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, saying that the group would either face its end or surrender.

"The army will not negotiate with Fatah al-Islam," Murr said in an interview on Arabic al-Arabiya satellite TV channel, "they have two choices: either surrender or face the army's military option."

The minister also said the army were already prepared for their action.

The minister made the statement when a truce between the army and the Fatah al-Islam militants held around the Nahr al-Bared camp after three days' fighting.

Murr said the authorities had information that "about 50 to 60 Fatah al-Islam fighters have been killed."

Lebanon has vowed to wipe out the militants, which are now down but not yet out and remain defiant.

Fatah al-Islam's spokesman Abu Salim Taha said on Wednesday the group would abide by a truce but its militants would not surrender.

"We respect the truce, but we will not surrender. If we are attacked, we will fight until the last drop of blood," Abu Salim said.

"The civilians are free to exit the camp. We will not stop them," he added.

Nahr al-Bared camp is home to some 40,000 Palestinian refugees, and under a 38-year-old deal, the army can not enter the Palestinian refugee camps.

Since Tuesday night, about 10,000 civilians have fled the camp, where three days of fighting had left dozens killed and even more injured.

Source: Xinhua