Lebanese army deploys to Tripoli

Northern city tense day after eight were killed in clashes between residents backing rival sides in neighbouring Syria.

Tripoli clashes
Sunnis in Tripoli generally back Syria's rebels while the city's Alawites mostly support President Assad [AFP]

Lebanese army has army been deployed to the northern city of Tripoli, following violence stemming from the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

Troops were taking positions on top of buildings on Tuesday evening, as two more deaths were reported from clashes a day earlier.

The latest deaths brought to toll from Monday’s violence between Sunni residents of the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood and Alawites from Jabal al-Mohsen to eight.

“One policeman who was off duty died of sniper-fire wounds from the day before, and a Syrian residing in the city suffered the same fate,” a security official told the AFP news agency.

Residents of Jabal al-Mohsen are largely backing the Syrian regime, led by Alawite president Bashar al-Assad. Bab al-Tabbaneh residents generally support the Sunni-dominated rebel forces.

The violence continued on Tuesday, with assailants torching Alawite-owned shops in the Sunni neighbourhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh, said the security official.

There were also reports of sniper fire in the city.

The latest confrontations come after a brief lull in the violence between the two sides, following a flare-up last month that left 31 people dead and more than 200 hurt.

Each side accuses the other of using Tripoli as a base to gather weapons and supplies headed into Syria and cities like Qusayr, where rebels and regime forces are battling for control.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies