Beirut, 2007 Oct 24, Al-Manar

Fires raged across hectares of woodland in northern and southern Lebanon on Wednesday, civil defense officials said, only weeks after an earlier forest fire devastated parts of the country.

Emergency crews backed by Lebanese army helicopters struggled to extinguish blazes which broke out on Tuesday in the mountainous northern regions of Qobayat, Ayto and Karm Saddeh, an official said.

There are no reports of any casualties, police and civil defense authorities said. "The fires have been raging in all three regions since yesterday," the official added.

Fires also spread across forests of pine and oak trees as well as valleys and woods around Bisri, Sfaray and Mashmusheh in southern Lebanon.

Earlier this month, more than 2,500 hectares of woodland were destroyed in fires that swept through several regions of Lebanon, leaving one woman dead and dozens injured.