Lebanon\'s military forces battling followers of Muslim cleric Ahmed Al-Assir closed Monday in on the mosque where they are taking cover in a southern coastal city, the national news agency said. It said a total of 12 soldiers had been killed since fighting erupted a day earlier, according to AP. The clashes in Sidon, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Beirut, is the latest bout of violence in Lebanon linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria. They are the bloodiest yet involving the army. At least three of those killed are officers