Gunmen kill Lebanese army officer, soldier in Akkar

Unidentified gunmen have killed a Lebanese army officer and another soldier in Lebanon’s northern Akkar province.

A third soldier was also injured in the assault at an army checkpoint near the village of Fneideq, east of the northern city of Tripoli, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The Lebanese military has launched a plan aimed at quelling the deadly violence in Tripoli.

On April 2, army troops in armored personnel carriers were deployed in the rival neighborhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabanneh, which house Alawite and Sunni communities, conducting raids on suspected residences.

Tripoli residents have reportedly welcomed the deployment, saying it would help restore peace and order to the city.

Lebanon’s second largest city has been rocked by deadly violence since the outbreak of the conflict between the supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The fighting in Syria has pitted pro-Assad residents of Jabal Mohsen neighborhood against the inhabitants of Bab al-Tabbaneh who support foreign-backed militants operating in Syria.

At least 30 people were killed in two weeks of fighting between the rival neighborhoods in March.

Lebanon has also been suffering from terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda-linked militants as well as random rocket attacks related to the Syria conflict. Foreign-backed militants in Syria have frequently attacked Lebanese border areas where the majority of the residents support the Syrian government.