Tripoli jolted by armed clashes between Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tebbaneh

Armed clashes rocked the city of Tripoli on Friday only to persist through the night. On Saturday morning the residents of the northern capital woke up to sounds of gunfire and B7 grenades exchanged between the Sunni district of Bab al-Tebbaneh and the predominantly Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen. 

One person, Nehman Dalati, was wounded in the explosion of an arms cache in Abi Samra near Al Jinan University. Dalati was rushed to a nearby hospital where he passed away succumbing to his wounds.

Residents told LBCI that the LAF brigades and commandos regiment were deployed to the region; however they have so far failed to neutralize the situation. Tripoli residents voiced fear that extremist Islamic groups will take part in the clashes which will further exacerbate the situation.

The fighting set off on Friday when a grenade was thrown on Syria Street which separates the two neighborhoods, residents said. According to a statement issued by the LAF command, three soldiers were injured, a number of people implicated in the clashes were arrested and ammunition and arms were confiscated.

“The clashes in Tripoli raise fresh concerns about Syrian unrest spilling over into Lebanon”, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told Al-Liwaa daily. Charbel said that Lebanon is “standing on the brink” which requires a stern position wether from the president or from the political leadership as a whole.

A senior military source told As-Safir daily that some are deliberately trying to sow the seeds of strife in order to exacerbate the situation. The same source said that the timing of the clashes is very suspicious, hoping that it is not an attempt to distract the army.