Military equipment and funds from the United States will give a boost to the Lebanese army in a short period, a military source said.

The Beirut government asked the US to help its army and send aid, consisting of 280 million dollars in assistance, which would be a considerable backing. In previous years the aid was almost seven times smaller, even through the rough period of the armed conflict with Israel.

The request comes after four chaotic days of intense fighting with al-Qaeda linked militants in the northern territories, near a Palestinian refugee camp.

Extremists took positions inside the camp and launch attacks against Lebanese troops, under the protection of the 40,000 civilians living in the Nahr al-Bared camp, in which the military can’t enter under a 38-year-old deal.

US supported Lebanon in the conflict and is currently trying to find an efficient method to send the aid as soon as possible in the region, a Pentagon spokeswoman said.  

The authorities delivered an ultimatum to the militants to surrender, but the response was firm: they will die for their cause. A ceasefire was broken Thursday and many signs show that the Lebanese army was preparing an assault, a drastic measure to quell the violence.