Troops Move to Keep the Calm Amid Foreign Agitation in Tripoli

Clashes continue in Tripoli
23 October, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Updated 2:47pm: The death toll in Lebanon has risen to at least 10 since Saturday as clashes continued overnight in Tripoli, sparked by Friday’s massive car bomb that killed the country’s top security chief.

The army moved in to create a buffer zone between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen last night after a day of fierce fighting, but sporadic clashes continued overnight raising the death toll in the city to nine. One man was killed yesterday in Beirut during clashes with the army.

Some fighting continued Tuesday afternoon in Tripoli, but the situation has calmed since yesterday, an Al-Akhbar correspondent said. One man from Jabal Mohsen was killed in today’s fighting after being sent to Zgharta Hospital.

Violence in Tripoli has been ongoing for months between the two neighborhoods divided over the Syrian conflict. Tens of people have been killed during confrontations between the neighbors over the past year, usually as a result of gun battles and sniper fire.

Beirut remained calm Tuesday as a series of diplomatic meetings took place to ease tensions after Friday’s explosion that killed brigadier general Wissam Al-Hassan, the head of the Internal Security Forces information branch and an influential March 14 opposition figure.

The European Union’s top representative for foreign affairs Catherine Ashton held talks with Prime Minister Najib Mikati over the country’s security situation and conflict in Syria.

She reportedly offered her support to Mikati, who is facing opposition calls to resign, during a one-hour meeting at the Grand Serail.

“We appreciate the positions of Mr. Mikati to maintain the cohesion and integrity of Lebanon under these difficult circumstances,” Ashton said.

The EU has said it supports the Lebanese government in spite of mounting pressure from the opposition to relinquish power. The opposition, which blames Syria for the killing, says the Lebanese government also also bears responsibility.

Ashton afterwards met with President Michel Sleiman in the Baabdat Palace.

Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also met with Sleiman Tuesday.

Mikati on Tuesday referred the assassination to Lebanon’s highest judicial authority while foreign branches of the Future Movement, country’s main opposition group, called for an international investigation into the killing.

Meanwhile, preliminary investigations into the attack found that the car used in the bombing has been stolen over a year ago, police chief Ashraf Rifi revealed Tuesday. …more