Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The civil war in Syria continues to take its toll on Lebanon, with a spate of clashes between Sunni opponents and Shi’ite supporters of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad erupting over the last week in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.
Violence escalated after militias from the Sunni majority Bab Al-Tabbaneh district blamed Shi’ite armed groups in the Jabal Moshsen district of carrying out twin attacks at Sunni mosques in Tripoli in August.
Sunni–Shi’ite violence has killed six people and injured dozens of others over the past week.
Estimates say that 50 shells fell on Tripoli on Friday alone.
Given the gravity of the security situation in Lebanon, President Michel Sleiman cancelled his visit to Austria on Friday.