Lebanese military sources say dozens of family members of Islamic militants have been evacuated from a Palestinian refugee camp where militants have been battling government forces for months.

The sources say some 60 women and children left the battered Nahr el-Bared camp in northern Lebanon Friday after a cease-fire was negotiated with the militants.

Smoke billows from the besieged Palestinian camp of Nahr al-Bared in north Lebanon, 19 Aug. 2007

Fighting between the Lebanese Army and the Fatah al-Islam militants began May 20.

Since then, government troops have tried to evict the al-Qaida-inspired militants, who have defied demands to leave the camp. The fighting has killed 142 Lebanese troops and many militants and civilians.

The government believes less than 100 militants remain in the camp. Before the fighting, the camp had a population of more than 30,000 people. Most of the residents have since fled.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.