Ghosn Warns Tripoli Unrest 'May Lead Entire Country into Major Crisis'

Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn on Thursday stressed that the army is not applying political calculations in dealing with the tense security situation in Tripoli, warning that the entire country is in danger.

“The situation in the North has reached a dangerous level after security turned into a hostage in the hands of those who are tampering with people's security and lives and daring to attack the Lebanese army in a direct manner,” Ghosn said.

“Should things continue in this manner, they could lead the entire country into a major and grave crisis and it will be impossible to overcome it easily,” the minister added.

He noted that the “gunmen who are killing and terrorizing people do not represent the city of Tripoli at all and do not belong to its unique national and social fabric.”

Ghosn underlined that “those fabricating lies and rumors filled with sectarian poison -- in a bid to create a rift between a group of the Lebanese and their national army -- will not achieve their goals.”

He added that the army “will continue until the end in its measures that are aimed at restoring calm and security while executing the decisions of the political authority and performing its national duty in protecting its people to whichever community or region they might belong, without any discrimination.”

“Everything the army is doing in the North is in the interest of the region's residents before anything else and it aims to protect their security, stability and property, as the army is not acting out of political calculations and there are no objectives pushing it to act other than the higher national interest and the protection of civil peace,” Ghosn said.

Caretaker Interior Minister Charbel assured Thursday from Tripoli that the army will complete "full deployment in the city within 48 hours," urging gunmen to support the military institution's plan.

The army has launched a crackdown on gunmen in the Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen districts and raided weapons depots in both neighborhoods, but sniper activity continued in the area.

Later on Thursday, clashes spread to the heart of Tripoli for the first time since 2008.

"A major clash in Tripoli's souks broke out between Salafists (who support the revolt in Syria) and fighters loyal to Hizbullah," a security source told Agence France Presse, adding that two pro-Hizbullah fighters were wounded.

It comes after some three weeks of sectarian fighting in the flashpoint Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhoods, during which around 40 people were killed.

The city has so far witnessed around 17 rounds of fighting which intensified when the now more than two-year conflict erupted in Syria.