2 Dead, Several Hurt in Ongoing Tripoli Clashes, Military Court Seeks to Arrest Gunmen

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Two people were killed and at least 15 injured in heavy clashes that rattled the northern city of Tripoli on Friday as the military prosecution began acting against the warring sides, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The latest casualty was Jabal Mohsen resident Katia Khodr, a 22-year-old mother of two, who died from gunshot wounds she suffered on Thursday, a security official told Agence France Presse.

The casualty toll from five days of clashes has climbed to six dead and 49 wounded, the official said.

NNA said the number of casualties was reported in the gunbattles that rocked the city after midnight.

The gunmen used rockets and machineguns in the clashes. They also threw light flares to see the sources of rocket fire, the agency said.

The fighting between the rival neighborhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh subsided in the morning despite intermittent sniper fire.

However, clashes and sniper activity escalated in the afternoon on all frontiers, according to several media reports.

Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said an exchange of gunfire erupted between army troops and an armed group that tried to prevent soldiers from erecting a checkpoint on Bab al-Tabbaneh's highway, which left several people wounded.

Al-Jadeed television said a child was wounded by sniper fire in the al-Baqqar area.

The army responded to the sources of fire and carried out patrols in the areas that separate the two districts and at the city's entrances, the agency said.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam expressed regret over the victims of the clashes, warning of the “dangerous results of meddling with the people's fate and the safety of the northern city.”

He stressed the importance of undertaking the “necessary measures to end the terrible degradation of the security situation in Tripoli.”

Salam held the government responsible for the situation in the city as it failed to act firmly with the violators.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr asked the heads of security agencies in the North to provide him with the names of the gunmen taking part in the Tripoli fighting to issue arrest warrants against them.

His decision came following a security meeting held on Thursday under President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace.

After the meeting, Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati said certain decisions had been taken and that their results would appear in the coming days.

There was limited traffic in Tripoli on Friday morning but most shops began opening and owners took stock of the damage to their properties.

With Friday's death, the toll in the fighting rose to at least six dead and more than 70 injured.

The fighting broke out on Monday evening as celebratory gunfire erupted in Jabal Mohsen over Syrian President Bashar Assad’s appearance on al-Mayadeen television for an interview.

Comments 14
Thumb geha 25 October 2013, 10:37

Jabal Mohsen is a Lebanese territory unlike what assad said the other day.
to prove it, it needs to be cleansed totally from the terrorists occupying it.

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 October 2013, 11:40

just like prince faysal said tripoli was a saudi province?

Thumb geha 25 October 2013, 14:55

why? is my patriotism bothering you?
you accept your master assad to claim a region in Lebanon, and you are upset why I refuse to cede it to him?
or is it for asking to cleanse Tripoli from foreign agents that is bothering you?
each day you prove what a traitor you are.

Default-user-icon danton2 (Guest) 25 October 2013, 11:47

geha, terrorists are on both side. Look at the picture. those people uwho precision rifles and cover their faces, are aiming at civilians. the entire city is hostage.

Also, if you ever went to Tripoli, you should know that celebratory gunfire is quite frequent there. During a M14 demonstation in 2012, the happy triggers in Bab el Tabbane fired all the day in the air.

Apart from that, I congratulate you for the zeal. the concept of "total cleansing" in this region has been used many times from Israel. In Israel's eyes, you display the right attitude: eager to "cleanse" part of your own country. You are a good puppet.

Thumb geha 25 October 2013, 14:58

when you have a bunch of terrorist foreign agents following openly another government, you need to cleanse your territory for those.
this is acknowledged by International law. :)

Thumb wenger 25 October 2013, 14:27

Hariri is lebanese at least and not some foreign president/dictator which was ice-man's point that you failed to understand. And i thought you of all ppl would understand the safety reasons behind their abroad situation since ur fanatic leader has been hidden in a cave for the last 20 years...

Thumb wenger 25 October 2013, 14:52

yes that is clearly what they want, any political experts will confirm it, which is why we should fight for Assad's right to lease it like he has done for the past 40 years

Thumb geha 25 October 2013, 14:59

sorry wenger: assad does not want to lease it! he is claiming it as his :)
if it was just leased, it wuld remain under Lebanese sovereignty :)
and the above stupid m8 ruch to defend their master once more against their countrymen.

Missing peace 25 October 2013, 19:05

"wanker still forgets that all of its employers were assad's lackeys.. gharib.."

just like jerker forgets that his leaders STILL are the lackeys of assad, which is worse! LOL

Thumb Chupachups 25 October 2013, 14:56

is it just me, or the M8 supporters are commenting everywhere and backing each other up lol

Thumb primesuspect 25 October 2013, 15:50

They r cornered, we r just sitting back and watching their shameful behavior.

Thumb geha 25 October 2013, 15:59

they are desperate to defend their untenable positon however they can, and if you noticed most of the time they resort to insults, clar sign they have no argument to support their views.
they know they are going to be kicked out and they are desperate.

Thumb cedre 25 October 2013, 16:32

it is just u

Thumb cedre 25 October 2013, 16:28

Lebanese sunnis only pledge allegiance to Lebanon, they're real patriots.
They're not into gettin Lebanon in Vilayat Faqih or Greater Syria...
When somebody use the term wahabism, it is an indicator of ignorance or antisunni propaganda or both...