Lebanese defence minister denies Tripoli turned into military zone

Lebanese Defence Minister Fayez Ghosn denied that the northern city of Tripoli had become a military zone, saying the army will only take charge of security in it. In statements Thursday, the minister further said that the army is performing its role in maintaining security in Tripoli. The move came to end recurrent sectarian fighting in the northern city linked to the war in Syria that has threatened civil peace in the country. Bab al-Tabbaneh is largely Sunni and backs the revolution against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Jabal Mohsen's residents are from Assad's Alawite sect. The two impoverished neighborhoods have engaged in gunbattles for years. The fighting intensified after the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011 but the violence in recent days has taken a more ominous turn, spreading to include other parts of Tripoli as snipers took up positions on rooftops, and gunbattles and rocket fire raged out of control.