At Least 2 Dead in Tripoli Clashes, Sniper Fire Escalates

Local Editor

At least two people were killed and seven were wounded in north Lebanon Saturday as sporadic sniper fire renewed between the rival Tripoli neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, raising fears of another round of clashes between the two neighborhoods.

Wassim al-Khatib, a Lebanese Alawite, was shot and wounded in the Al-Mankoubeen area and Nidal al-Barzi was wounded by sniper fire on Starco Street.

The intermittent sniper fire forced some students of al-Loqman to flee the institution by scaling the outer wall of the school while others remained indoors.
Lebanese soldiers also blocked the highway linking Tripoli to Akkar due to sniper fire.

The military is trying to restore calm to the city and contacting leaders in the rival neighborhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh, a security source stated.
Security and political officials fear a return of deadly clashes, the source added.

Tensions in the northern city have been high following repeated attacks against members of the Alawite community from Jabal Mohsen.

On Friday, Jabal Mohsen's citizens held a sit-in over the recent attacks targeting members of the sect.
Several Tripoli municipal workers from Jabal Mohsen were shot in their feet on Thursday.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team