Two Killed, Five Wounded as Clashes Resume in Tripoli

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Two people were killed on Thursday as sniper attacks resumed in the northern city of Tripoli, reported Voice of Lebanon radio.

The dead include a child from the Zahra family, it added.

Agence France Presse reported that five people have been wounded in the clashes that renewed in Tripoli on Thursday.

VDL added that the army has blocked all the roads leading to the hotspots in the city in order to protect the people in light of the return of the sniper activity.

It later reported that gunmen, not affiliated to the Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen clashes, have opened fire randomly in various parts of the city.

The assailants, driving in a white Mercedes, drove around the city while randomly opening fire.

Members of the army intelligence are chasing the perpetrators.

The radio said that gunshots were heard in al-Zahiriya area in Tripoli, which is located far from the two rival neighborhoods, adding that the unknown gunmen were likely responsible for them.

A cautious calm had pervaded the city overnight, which was only interrupted by intermittent gunshots from snipers, reported the NNA on Friday.

Clashes had erupted Wednesday night between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, especially at Syria Street, which separates the two areas.

The unrest was sparked by the arrest of Islamist Shadi al-Mawlawi on Saturday.

At least nine people have been killed and 90 wounded in the violence.

Efforts had been exerted by various political powers to end the unrest, with an agreement being reached on Wednesday between Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Islamic committees and the committee following up on the case of Islamist detainees, under which al-Mawlawi will be re-interrogated on Thursday.

He was arrested on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization, but his supporters say he was targeted because of his help for Syrian refugees fleeing to Lebanon.

Al-Mawlawi's brother Nizar later warned that the Islamists would escalate the situation if Shadi is not released before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, reported LBC television.

The detainee was scheduled to be re-interrogated on Thursday.

Comments 10
Default-user-icon Rami (Guest) 17 May 2012, 10:36

You can kiss the summer season goodbye! Those incidents are all over the local press in the Middle East.

Thumb Bandoul 17 May 2012, 21:49

Very sad for those waiting for the opportunity to work the tourism season and support their families.

The Party of God, aka the “Party of Murdering Thugs” will do everything in its power to fabricate the excuse and justification to ignite a Lebanese civil war in order to take the attention away from Syria and Iran and delay the elections of 2013. Just like their weapons, they are illegitimate sons of IRAN posing as Lebanese resistance!

Default-user-icon trueself (Guest) 17 May 2012, 11:09

I am quite concerned that the war of Syria is gradually seeping into Lebanon thru Tripoli. I hope it remain confined to Tripoli while sympathizing with Tripoli people for the sacrifices they are enduring. The Lebanese have paid a hefty price from Assad's involvement in Lebanon and it appears they have to pay more from their blood until Syria goes back to its people.

Default-user-icon Sam (Guest) 17 May 2012, 12:01

flame thrower you are right this time why not cause your idea is well

Thumb thefool 17 May 2012, 15:52

"sniper attacks" - Shou?! We have mercenaries now?!

Missing mohammad_ca 17 May 2012, 16:25

Let bayt Jaafar and bayt Amhez do the same as well

Default-user-icon Souri (Guest) 17 May 2012, 18:07

Lebanese will be lebanese they have been killing eachother since the mid 1850s. i wonder when you will learn that its not ur sect that counts its ur nation.

Missing peace 17 May 2012, 21:04

what do those hezbi supporters think? there is always a reaction to every action: hezb doesn t want to give up its arsenal to the lebanese army so the reaction is that other extremists like them rearm! moreover the syrian allawis of tripoli are used by syria to bring chaos! and also to justify maybe a future military action in the north with the blessing of M8!
oh! orangina said it before his prostitution with hezbis that syria will leave its intelligence services behind and would send islamists to destabilze lebanon... so you have the saudi islamists versus the hezbi trained islamists, the allawis against the saudi islamists...
as long as there is hezbollah in lebanon no peace nor stability will prevail with the benediction of aoun and his supporters!

Thumb Bandoul 17 May 2012, 21:50

The Party of God, aka the “Party of Murdering Thugs” will do everything in its power to fabricate the excuse and justification to ignite a Lebanese civil war in order to take the attention away from Syria and Iran and delay the elections of 2013. Just like their weapons, they are illegitimate sons of IRAN posing as Lebanese resistance!

Missing ulpianus 18 May 2012, 02:04

I think the resistance should defend the tourism season in Lebanon. It´s as important as the two meters square still occupied by israel in the south.

EVERY year, something like this happens. Why, and who is benefiting from this?