Facial composite sketch of Tripoli blasts suspect circulated

The directorate added that the identity of any citizen who reports information regarding the suspect will remain confidential in accordance with the law.

On Friday the 23rd of August, two explosions rocked the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli near the al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques, leaving 45 killed and almost 500 others injured.

Thick black smoke billowed as gunshots were fired into the air. Ambulances rushed to the scene and security forces cordoned off the area for fears of further attacks. 

In the details, one blast occurred outside the al-Taqwa mosque as Friday prayers ended, while the other the other hit central Tripoli near the al-Salam mosque facing the residence of the former general director of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces Major General Ashraf Rifi. The al-Taqwa mosque is where hardline Salafist Sheikh Salem Rafei preaches. He has been known for his anti-Syrian regime sentiment.               

The blasts come amid rising tension in Lebanon resulting from Syria's civil war, which has sharply polarized the country along sectarian lines and between supporters and opponents of the regime of President Bashar Assad.