Clashes Renew in Tripoli with Miqati's Resignation after Fragile Truce
Armed clashes renewed on Friday evening on all frontiers in Tripoli, ending a fragile four-hour ceasefire, as supporters of Prime Minister Najib Miqati gathered on the streets and blocked several roads in the wake of his resignation.
Rocket-propelled grenades were fired amid heavy gunfire and sniper activity, state-run National News Agency reported.
"Supporters of PM Najib Miqati gathered at the Abdul Hamid Karami Square in Tripoli and blocked all roads leading to the roundabout, in solidarity with the PM after he submitted his resignation," NNA said.
"Army troops fired back heavily at the sources of gunfire in Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, amid sporadic shelling with RPGs," the agency added.
The death toll from three days of fighting in Tripoli rose to six on Friday.
Earlier on Friday, Arab Democratic Party media officer Abdul Latif Saleh told LBCI television that the party had informed the army that it will declare a unilateral ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the gathering of Islamic powers in al-Qobbeh and Bab al-Tabbaneh held a press conference to stress that the clashes in the city are not taking place between Sunnis and Alwawites.
“These sects are the sons of a the same region. The clashes are taking place with an oppressive power that usurped the decision-making power of the Alawite sect in Tripoli,” they added.
The gatherers demanded that the security forces be allowed to perform their duties in Tripoli “in order for all sides to feel that the military institution is standing at an equal distance from all sides.”
They called for a ceasefire, adding: “We did not start the violence and we did not call for it.”
A Lebanese soldier was among the dead in the three-day clashes.
The Lebanese “army continued to take security measures in the tense neighborhoods of the city of Tripoli, mainly in Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh, including raids in areas where the gunmen are located,” a communique issued by the military command said.
Troops arrested several suspects and seized arms and ammunition from them, it said.
It added however that one soldier was killed and several others were injured during their mission.
Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) identified the dead soldier as Hassan Diab.
The army said late Thursday that the gunmen used light and medium weapons in addition to hand grenades.
It warned armed men that it would deal firmly with all sources of gunfire and urged citizens to abide by the security measures taken by the army to preserve their safety.
The Tripoli gunfight erupted on Wednesday when a soldier was wounded along with his brother after gunmen entered the state hospital in the area of al-Qobbeh and opened fire at him.
On Friday, the army said it responded to the sources of fire “in the appropriate way” and carried out patrols in the areas that separate the rival neighborhoods of Tripoli.
Armored personnel carriers also blocked for several hours the seven roads that lead to Abdul Hamid Karami square, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Tripoli has been witnessing deadly clashes between supporters and opponents of the Damascus regime for several years now.
The majority of Bab al-Tabbaneh residents are Sunni and back the revolution against Syrian President Bashar Assad while Jabal Mohsen's residents are mainly Alawites from Assad's sect.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/76618 |