BERLIN - The German presidency of the European Union on Monday condemned the latest bloodshed in Lebanon and called for the disarmament of Islamic militia fighters clashing with the army.
"We of course regard these battles between the Lebanese army and armed groups in the Palestinian refugee camps with very great concern and the government condemns the attack on the Lebanese security forces in the strongest terms," foreign ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger said.
He said the resurgence in violence "reminded us how urgent it is that militia in Lebanon are disarmed."
Jaeger said Berlin called on all parties to show restraint to prevent Lebanon slipping further into conflict after two days of fighting between the army and Palestinian militia left 55 dead.
The unrest in northern Lebanon pitting the Fatah al-Islam group against the army is seen as the deadliest outburst of internal violence in the country since its 1975-90 civil war.
"We call on all parties to avoid a further escalation of the conflict. We cannot allow Lebanon to be sucked into a spiral of violence again," Jaeger said.
On Monday, nine Palestinian civilians were killed and more than 70 wounded on Monday as Lebanese troops shelled Islamic militants in a refugee camp in the north.
An Islamist killed in fighting on Sunday, Saddam Hajj Dib, was a suspect wanted over a failed plot to blow up passenger trains in Germany last July.
Germany heads the naval component of the United Nations force (UNIFIL) that was deployed in Lebanon in the aftermath of Israel's devastating 34-day war last summer on Hezbollah guerrillas holed up in its northern neighbour.
The naval force is meant to prevent arms being smuggled to Hezbollah by sea.
05/21/2007 11:04 GMT