Several injured in exchange of fire in Tripoli

A clash erupted on Thursday between the security forces and members of the Hassoun clan in Tripoli's Abi Samra Street, following the arrest of Citizen Ziad Hassoun who is suspected of having thrown a bomb at Abi Samra police station last week.       

Consequently, a number of the city’s residents cut off the road connecting Abi Samra Street to Mejdalya – Zgharta in protest of Hassoun’s arrest.                      

Later in the day, three citizens one identified as Bashir Hassoun and another as Sami Hassoun, were injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The port city of Tripoli has long been a stronghold of Sunni Islamists in northern Lebanon.

But the city has become increasingly volatile in recent months due to the civil war in neighboring Syria, where the Sunni majority is leading a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.

Clashes erupted in Tripoli on Sunday the 19th of May between pro-Syrian regime supporters in the predominantly Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen and pro-revolution fighters in the Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh leaving at least 35 persons killed, including 3 LAF members, and more than 300 others wounded.

Violence between the two areas stretches back to decades, but the recent round of fighting was the heaviest.

On Sunday the 26th of May, clashes eased significantly, while sporadic gunshots were still heard occasionally as Lebanese Armed Forces deployed in al-Kobbeh and Rifa regions, and headed towards Syria Street.