Plumbly: Recurrence of Violence Should Encourage Lebanese to Rally around State Institutions

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly expressed on Monday concern at incidents of violence in the northern city of Tripoli, northern and eastern Lebanon during the past few days,

He also condemned in a statement Sunday's suicide car bombing in the area of Nabi Othman in east Lebanon that killed and wounded a number of people.

He said: “The recurrence of such indiscriminate acts of violence should serve as further encouragement for all Lebanese to rally around state institutions, particularly the army and the security forces, as they work to protect Lebanon from the impact of the crisis in neighboring Syria.”

Plumbly extended his condolences to the families of the victims of all these incidents.

Two Hizbullah officials and two other people were killed in Sunday's blast near the border with Syria.

In addition, Plumbly welcomed again the recent formation of the government, as well as the agreement reached on a policy statement, “as important steps towards reinforcing Lebanon’s institutions in the face of the numerous challenges confronting the country including at the security level”.

The Special Coordinator reiterated the U.N.’s readiness to stand by the Lebanese authorities and expressed the hope that those responsible for the recent acts of violence will be brought to justice as soon as possible.

The latest round of clashes between Tripoli's rival Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods erupted on Thursday, leaving dozens of casualties.