Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora on Thursday vowed to uproot terrorism and finish off the extremist militants of Fatah al-Islam, which is battling the Lebanese army in the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al- Bared.

"We will not surrender to terrorism. We will work on rooting out terrorism and finishing it off," Seniora said in a televised speech on the occasion of the 7th anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

He singled out the Fatah al-Islam group, which had fought with the army for three days in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp, as a "terrorist organization."

At the same time Seniora stressed that Lebanon would not harm the Palestinian refugees who live in the country, saying "we will embrace and protect our brothers in the camps."

Lebanon hosts some 350,000 Palestinian refugees, who live in 12 refugee camps across the country.

The fighting between the army and Fatah al-Islam militants had killed at least 32 soldiers before it died down on Tuesday under a truce, which continued to be held on Thursday.

Scores of civilians in the camp, home to some 40,000 Palestinians refugees, are believed to have been killed though an official tally is not yet available.

On Thursday, Defense Minister Elias Murr issued an ultimatum to Fatah al-Islam militants holed up in Nahr al-Bared, telling them to surrender or face a military assault.

Source: Xinhua