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Tripoli Fighting Death Toll Rises to 5 as Sniper Fire Targets ISF, Army Troops

The death toll in the renewed rounds of fighting in the northern city of Tripoli rose to five on Monday afternoon, after cautious calm in the morning.

"A man from the Zaizoun family was killed by sniper fire in Tripoli's al-Riva," MTV reported.

Sniper fire wounded two members of the Internal Security Forces, one critically, in al-Mallouleh area, the National News Agency said.

It later reported that three army troops were also wounded by sniper fire in the city.

Meanwhile, "two people were killed when a car leaving Jabal Mohsen came under gunfire, as three other people managed to escape unharmed in an army armored vehicle," Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) reported.

Earlier, NNA said snipers “fired on anything that moved” in Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen, and mainly al-Zahrieh area and the international highway that links Tripoli to Akkar district.

Despite the sniper fire, there was limited traffic and most markets, shops, schools and university campuses opened their doors in Tripoli.

The renewed fighting between the rival neighborhoods on Sunday night left one person dead and 14 wounded.

But on Monday four more people died from sniper fire and the number of injured individuals rose to 29.

Sunday's clashes erupted at around 7 p.m. as gunmen used light arms, machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades to fight it out.

A recent round of violence pitting the Alawite backers of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime against Sunni supporters of the uprising, had left 31 people dead.

The gunbattles came as the army brought in reinforcements and responded to the sources of fire, NNA said.

Despite the military's efforts to stop the fighting, gunmen from both sides deployed in the narrow streets of the troubled neighborhoods and engaged in the deadly clashes.


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