2 Dead, 21 Hurt on Thursday as Fighting Continues in Tripoli
Two people were killed on Thursday and 21 others were injured, including a soldier, in renewed fighting and sniper activity in the northern city of Tripoli, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The fighting had reportedly escalated following the death of Arab Democratic Party top military official Bassam Abdullah in Jabal Mohsen.
NNA identified the other victim as Musbah al-Nazer. Media reports said he was killed when snipers opened fire at his car.
Thursday's casualties bring the toll from four days of fighting to three dead and 60 injured including nine soldiers, according to NNA. A security official told Agence France Presse that four people have been killed and 35 others have been injured during the ongoing violence.
In the evening, the sounds of intermittent gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades were still being heard and sniper fire was targeting homes and roads in Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, the agency said.
“Army troops are still responding to the sources of gunfire and trying to contain the situation,” it added.
Earlier, Tripoli MP Mohammed Kabbara reiterated his call to salvage the city, which for years has been witnessing deadly gunbattles between rival gunmen.
“We are losing patience,” Kabbara told LBCI TV station. He urged President Michel Suleiman to take a “courageous stance to salvage Tripoli.”
The lawmaker also urged security agencies to establish a joint operations room to bring the situation under control.
The fighting broke out on Monday evening as celebratory gunfire erupted in Jabal Mohsen over Assad’s appearance on al-Mayadeen television for an interview.
The violence between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen has worsened since the March 2011 start of Syria's uprising.
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