Gunmen Fire at Army Checkpoints in Tripoli, Troops Respond

Three army checkpoints in Tripoli, came under gunfire on Wednesday and the soldiers fired back.

The National News Agency said “army units deployed between al-Omari and Barrad al-Bissar streets and responded against the gunmen who shot at their checkpoint.”

This was confirmed by several media outlets.

Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said that the military responded to the gunshots that were fired at it by unknown gunmen.

According to MTV, "unidentified gunmen fired at an army checkpoint in Syria Street in Tripoli."

"The soldiers responded to the sources of fire and no injuries were reported," MTV added.

And LBCI said that the shooting targeted a military checkpoint in al-Omari street, and that "a hand grenade was thrown at another checkpoint in Bab al-Tabbaneh and the soldiers responded through opening fire.”

Later on Wednesday the Army Command stated that “three army checkpoints in Bab al-Tabbaneh, Syria street and al-Bisar, Tripoli, were shot at by gunmen, who lightly injuring a soldier in his leg.”

“The soldiers fired back and army units pursued the kidnappers to arrest them,” it added.

A Lebanese soldier was killed on Tuesday after gunmen opened fire on an army post in Tripoli's al-Beddawi.

And on Friday, an army checkpoint was attacked by a hand grenade in Tripoli's al-Omari area.

Last week, the army carried out raids in Tripoli and arrested a Syrian man accused of belonging to a terrorist organization.

Media reports had recently accused an armed group operating in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front extremist groups, but the gunmen denied that.

The same group is also accused of being behind several attacks on the army in the city.

Z.A.

Y.R.