Charbel Says Situation in Tripoli to be Resolved 'Gradually'

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said on Monday that the situation in the northern city of Tripoli will be resolved gradually.

He pointed out in comments published in As Safir newspaper that the situation in the city is “difficult.”

“The city is paying the price of the local and regional conflicts,” Charbel added.

The caretaker Minister said the Lebanese army is deployed in the hotspots.

The city has been engulfed in fighting between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen since Monday. The clashes have left scores of casualties.

Residents of Bab al-Tabbaneh support the revolt against Syrian President Bashar Assad, while those in Jabal Mohsen back Assad. They have fought frequently since the Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011.

Lebanon is deeply divided into pro- and anti-Damascus camps.

The division has widened since Hizbullah admitted in May it was sending fighters into Syria to support Assad's troops.

Small radical Sunni organizations have also sent men across the border to fight alongside rebels.