Tripoli’s Clashes: A Message of Blood to the New Government
Local Editor
"Forty" people between dead and injured is the result of Tripoli's long day after the city went out of control from the hands of the organizers, sponsors and supporters of the "March of Anger" against the Syrian regime in the city.
A cease-fire deal, reached during a meeting at PM Najib Mikati's home in Tripoli, went into effect at midnight Friday.
The fighting pitted gunmen from the mainly Bab al-Tabbaneh district against those from the neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen.
Gunmen deployed heavily in both neighborhoods and snipers opened fire on the Tripoli-Minnieh highway, forcing its closure. Rocket-propelled grenades fell in the Zahrieh and Jisr neighborhoods of the city as well.
The victims were identified as Arab Democratic Party (ADP) security official Ali Fares, first sergeant in the Lebanese Army Mahmoud Abdel-Hamid, Mohammad Shaqra, 14-year old Abdel-Rahman Habshiti, Ahmad Rifai and Khodr Masri.
The Lebanese Army confirmed the death of a soldier and the wounding of two others, adding that army units were carrying out raids to arrest gunmen.
"The army command warns that it will respond with firmness and strength to the sources of fire from any side and will not show leniency with anyone carrying arms or jeopardizing the lives of people," the army confirmed in its statement.
Mikati said the timing of the incident was suspicious and vowed to take action to restore calm to the city, stressing that security was "a red line" that will not be allowed to be crossed.
Accompanied by four of his ministers who reached the city Friday to attend a ceremony celebrating the formation of a 30-member Cabinet, Mikati emphasized in a news conference "Civil strife is wreaking havoc with the security of the city and its people."
"The timing of what happened in Tripoli is suspicious. The security of people and the country is our responsibility. Therefore, I affirm that civil peace is a red line. There will be no bargaining at all over security," Mikati said.
"I have given strict instructions to the army and security forces to take severe measures and strike with an iron fist. Whoever thinks they are stronger than the state and the law is mistaken," he added.
Mikati, whose government has come under blistering verbal attacks by March 14 parties since it was formed Monday, said: "I have said in our statement that we understand that the opposition is peaceful. That's what we have been promised. We understand today that security incidents have happened. We are doing our job fully to nip the strife in the bud in this city."
The ADP leader Rifaat Ali Eid held Arab and foreign intelligence agencies responsible for what happened in Tripoli.
"What is happening today represents a political message par excellence to Prime Minister Najib Mikati," he told al-Manar TV station. He added that Tripoli residents were paying the price for political tension in the country.
A coalition of various Lebanese parties and politicians said the clashes in Tripoli were aimed at crippling the government's work and called on the army and security forces to put an end to the state of insecurity in Tripoli.
A statement issued by the coalition blamed "a group of collaborators against the security of Lebanon and Syria for the clashes."
"What these groups are doing is aimed at putting spikes in the wheels of the Cabinet's work, undermining security and stability in the country and creating chaos in order to serve the American project in the region," the statement said.
Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn telephoned army commander General Jean Kahwagi to discuss how to halt the clashes in Tripoli.
Ghosn stressed that the army had taken necessary measures to restore security in Tripoli.
"The army will proceed with taking all steps to punish those responsible for instability," Ghosn said. "The Lebanese Army will continue to fully shoulder its responsibilities as it always has done. It will nip strife in the bud and consolidate security throughout the country."
The Lebanese Army, which was deployed to the area ahead of the planned protest which began at 2:30 p.m., has increased its presence in both areas following the clashes. A special army commando unit arrived on the scene around 6:30 p.m.
The army was deployed heavily around the two fighting neighborhoods to prevent an escalation, but residents were already starting to leave, seeking safety elsewhere.
President Michel Suleiman followed up on the security situation in Tripoli with Ghosn, Kahwagi and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.
"Forty" people between dead and injured is the result of Tripoli's long day after the city went out of control from the hands of the organizers, sponsors and supporters of the "March of Anger" against the Syrian regime in the city.
A cease-fire deal, reached during a meeting at PM Najib Mikati's home in Tripoli, went into effect at midnight Friday.
The fighting pitted gunmen from the mainly Bab al-Tabbaneh district against those from the neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen.
Gunmen deployed heavily in both neighborhoods and snipers opened fire on the Tripoli-Minnieh highway, forcing its closure. Rocket-propelled grenades fell in the Zahrieh and Jisr neighborhoods of the city as well.
The victims were identified as Arab Democratic Party (ADP) security official Ali Fares, first sergeant in the Lebanese Army Mahmoud Abdel-Hamid, Mohammad Shaqra, 14-year old Abdel-Rahman Habshiti, Ahmad Rifai and Khodr Masri.
The Lebanese Army confirmed the death of a soldier and the wounding of two others, adding that army units were carrying out raids to arrest gunmen.
"The army command warns that it will respond with firmness and strength to the sources of fire from any side and will not show leniency with anyone carrying arms or jeopardizing the lives of people," the army confirmed in its statement.
Mikati said the timing of the incident was suspicious and vowed to take action to restore calm to the city, stressing that security was "a red line" that will not be allowed to be crossed.
Accompanied by four of his ministers who reached the city Friday to attend a ceremony celebrating the formation of a 30-member Cabinet, Mikati emphasized in a news conference "Civil strife is wreaking havoc with the security of the city and its people."
"The timing of what happened in Tripoli is suspicious. The security of people and the country is our responsibility. Therefore, I affirm that civil peace is a red line. There will be no bargaining at all over security," Mikati said.
"I have given strict instructions to the army and security forces to take severe measures and strike with an iron fist. Whoever thinks they are stronger than the state and the law is mistaken," he added.
Mikati, whose government has come under blistering verbal attacks by March 14 parties since it was formed Monday, said: "I have said in our statement that we understand that the opposition is peaceful. That's what we have been promised. We understand today that security incidents have happened. We are doing our job fully to nip the strife in the bud in this city."
The ADP leader Rifaat Ali Eid held Arab and foreign intelligence agencies responsible for what happened in Tripoli.
"What is happening today represents a political message par excellence to Prime Minister Najib Mikati," he told al-Manar TV station. He added that Tripoli residents were paying the price for political tension in the country.
A coalition of various Lebanese parties and politicians said the clashes in Tripoli were aimed at crippling the government's work and called on the army and security forces to put an end to the state of insecurity in Tripoli.
A statement issued by the coalition blamed "a group of collaborators against the security of Lebanon and Syria for the clashes."
"What these groups are doing is aimed at putting spikes in the wheels of the Cabinet's work, undermining security and stability in the country and creating chaos in order to serve the American project in the region," the statement said.
Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn telephoned army commander General Jean Kahwagi to discuss how to halt the clashes in Tripoli.
Ghosn stressed that the army had taken necessary measures to restore security in Tripoli.
"The army will proceed with taking all steps to punish those responsible for instability," Ghosn said. "The Lebanese Army will continue to fully shoulder its responsibilities as it always has done. It will nip strife in the bud and consolidate security throughout the country."
The Lebanese Army, which was deployed to the area ahead of the planned protest which began at 2:30 p.m., has increased its presence in both areas following the clashes. A special army commando unit arrived on the scene around 6:30 p.m.
The army was deployed heavily around the two fighting neighborhoods to prevent an escalation, but residents were already starting to leave, seeking safety elsewhere.
President Michel Suleiman followed up on the security situation in Tripoli with Ghosn, Kahwagi and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.
