Lebanon

Blast, shooting in Lebanon’s Tripoli kill 2, injure 8

Blast, shooting in Lebanon’s Tripoli kill 2, injure 8
At least two people have been killed and eight others injured as a result of shootings and a grenade explosion in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

The shootings took place on Saturday between Lebanese soldiers and militants in the al-Baqqar neighborhood, killing one person and injuring two others.

Meanwhile, another person was killed and six others wounded in a grenade explosion in a nearby area.

Tripoli has been rocked by clashes between supporters and opponents of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The area is practically divided between the supporters and opponents of the Syrian government. Dozens of people have been so far killed in similar clashes in Tripoli.

On June 6, a man was killed and seven others wounded in similar clashes in Tripoli’s Old Souk area.

The Lebanese army has been deployed in many areas of the city for months now to restore calm.

Tensions are high in the country and many fear that a spillover of the Syrian crisis into Lebanon is imminent.

In the southern city of Sidon, the Lebanese army clashed with dozens of Salafist gunmen, carrying the flags of the militants fighting the Syrian government earlier on Saturday.

Media reports say the Lebanese troops responded to the gunmen, who were supporters of Takfiri Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, with heavy gunfire. There has been no report of casualties.

The Lebanese army continues operations against the supporters of the Takfiri Sheikh in Sidon following fierce clashes with the armed men.

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