5 Hurt as Gunmen Clash in Rival Tripoli Neighborhoods
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Shooting broke out on Friday in the northern city of Tripoli as pro- and anti-Syria gunmen deployed heavily in the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, Agence France Presse reported.
"There is a heavy armed presence and shooting in the Sunni Muslim neighborhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh and the Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen," a security official said, requesting anonymity.
"One person driving by was injured in the gunfire."
He said the army had deployed in both neighborhoods earlier in the day, but later retreated to a street dividing the two sides.
"Two soldiers were wounded in the clashes," he said.
For its part, state-run National News Agency said three grenades exploded in an area located between the two rival districts.
“Sporadic volleys of machinegun fire are being heard every now and then,” NNA added.
It said three civilians were injured in the fighting, identifying them as Jihad Mohammed al-Sabaa, 24, Mohammed Ali Asaad, 46, and Khaled Saidawi, 25.
Meanwhile, MTV said a number of Bab al-Tabbaneh residents fled the area of the clashes.
“The army is firing back at the sources of the gunfire at the moment,” Radio Voice of Lebanon reported.
Later on Friday, President Michel Suleiman called on the military and security forces deployed in Tripoli to “firmly suppress those disrupting security and civil peace, especially in the North and specifically in Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh.”
The Sunni-majority coastal city has in the past few years been the scene of intense clashes between Sunni supporters of the anti-Syrian opposition and Alawite Muslims loyal to a Hizbullah-led alliance backed by Iran and Syria.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is fighting an unprecedented revolt against his regime, hails from the Alawite community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
10 February 2012, 18:43
00
Syria is behind it. They are trying to prove Lebanon cannot be stable without the ASSad mafia to "protect" it.
10 February 2012, 19:28
00
it depends, keeping the army busy from what????
complete neutrality is needed,to keep lebanon outside the regional conflict brewing.
we have to understand that farsis and wahabies are the same devil...
10 February 2012, 19:49
04
Last night two Inerga's & 1 grenade were fired at bab al Tebbeneh.
Was this a warning not to protest; because starting a firefight definitely seemed to be a response to the peaceful protests.
10 February 2012, 20:57
13
ya mowaten, is it okay to smuggle arms from Syria to Lebanon?
11 February 2012, 19:09
00
It is absolutely smuggling since the government and therefore the public do not know where they are going? Let me ask you this, who holds Hizbolla accountable for its actions? If the public are to support any sort of institution it must be held accountable for its actions...this is the MAIN problem with Hizbollah...
10 February 2012, 20:59
12
you are right "mowaten" you do not want the genocide in humus to be disrupted!, let bashar kill thousands of sunis balki they back off!
10 February 2012, 21:34
12
Why are Lebanese protesting? I don't recall any Arab country protesting when we started our 30 year civil war. What I remember is how the Arab countries helped break us apart even further. Let bashar rot in hell. But not over another drop of Lebanese blood.
10 February 2012, 22:55
30
the filthy slimy zionist media terrorist always ignore the fights in the north, only to post zillions of posts against our glorious resistance if a common theft happens.
also, they hallucinate something about smuggling weapons from syria to lebanon
11 February 2012, 04:58
00
lets tor bachar and aloui and cronies go to hell..bashar is a fuckin asshole..ba3eth organization is a big shit
11 February 2012, 04:58
02
Vacate both areas (jabal mohsen and bab eltabane) from unarmed civilians,cordon off the area and have them go at each other until the last man. Lebanon needs to be rid of all violent minded (primitive) folks regardless of political affiliations.
11 February 2012, 06:05
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The filthy zionist Hizbollah, Amal, Baathiest, Alaweet,SSNP remained armed militias after the 30yrs War and never abandoned their weapons like the rest of the militias in Lebanon, never handed their weapons to strengthen the Leb army role internally and perimeter which prompted others to re-arm again and another war will begin soon under the slogan: People, Army, Resistance and all three will fight one another. Thank you and I wish the foreign armies stayed in Lebanon.(Syria and Israel)
11 February 2012, 06:36
00
Mowaten, Flamer and Jabala-babble the three amigos,
Mowaten, this article had nothing to do with arms' smuggling (of course you know better). Did you happen to read this part of it? "The Sunni-majority coastal city has in the past few years been the scene of intense clashes between Sunni supporters of the anti-Syrian opposition and Alawite Muslims loyal to a Hizbullah-led alliance backed by Iran and Syria."
Flamer, you jump on any band wagon, to you goes the best comment of the day. "This is not smuggling because we know which party is getting it." I guess the assassination of Hariri and all the others were not really assassinations, since we know who the assassins are. That must be why Hezbollah keeps proclaiming they are innocent. I am sure you have heard this many, many times before... Idiot!
Jabala-babble, you are a sick man. Where you ever abducted by Zionist aliens... and experimented on?
12 February 2012, 02:40
00
the filthy zionist media terrorists try to present me as one of their own.
they think such retarded strategy will work
