Saqr Charges 7 with Involvement in Tripoli Clashes

State commissioner to the military court Judge Saqr Saqr charged 7 detainees, including a Palestinian, with opening fire at the army in gunbattles in the northern city of Tripoli, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

Saqr referred the 7 men to the military examining magistrate, urging him to issue arrest warrants to reveal the identities of their accomplices.

The assailants were also charged with attempted murder and the possession of arms without a license.

Earlier, Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) reported that Saqr denied that he ordered the release of 11 suspects, who were detained over their involvement in the latest gunbattles in Tripoli.

VDL reported that Saqr ruled out reports saying that Prime Minister Najib Miqati intervened for the release of the men.

He noted, according to the radio station, that he didn’t order the arrest or release of any person over the incident

On Sunday, the army issued a communique confirming the arrest of 18 people, saying it seized quantities of arms, ammunition and military hardware after a patrol came under fire in al-Zahriyeh.

The National News Agency reported on Thursday that seven suspects will be referred to the Military Tribunal for legal measures if there was evidence of their involvement in the Tripoli clashes.

The NNA added that the remaining 11 were freed for not having ties to the clashes between the majority Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh and the mainly Alawite Jabal Mohsen.

But according to al-Mustaqbal daily, the 11 men, who are from al-Mouri family, were on Sunday seized along with two truckloads of weapons and ammunition in al-Zahriyeh neighborhood.

Life slowly returned to normal in Tripoli on Monday after six days of gunbattles between the rival neighborhoods, which left scores of casualties.