Lebanon catches fugitive militant

Roumieh prison is situated in an eastern suburb of Beirut

The Lebanese army has recaptured an Islamist militant who escaped from a high security prison.

Security officials said Taha Hajj Suleiman was re-arrested in the woods east of Beirut near the jail he escaped from a day earlier.

Mr Suleiman is being held on charges of participating in a 15-week battle with the Lebanese army at Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in 2007.

His group, Fatah al-Islam, had seized control of the camp.

Some 440 people died in the fighting, including 170 regular army soldiers.

The break-out reportedly occurred after the Syrian national's comrades from Fatah al-Islam formed a human ladder at Roumieh prison and he was able to scale the walls to escape.

Police had described the fugitive as "dangerous" and immediately launched a search in the early hours of Tuesday using helicopters and police dogs to hunt him down.