Sakr charges seven with attempting to kill Army troops

Military Prosecutor Judge Sakr Sakr charged seven men Friday, six Lebanese and a Palestinian, with attempting to kill Army personnel during recent clashes in north Lebanon. The seven men were charged with shooting at soldiers to try and kill them, as well as illegal possession of arms. If proven guilty, they could face up to 20 years imprisonment with hard labor. Sakr referred the men to the military investigative judge and asked for additional warrants to pursue and identify their accomplices. Eleven other gunmen who were arrested were subsequently released after it could not be established that they participated in deadly acts of violence. Earlier this month, weeklong clashes in Tripoli erupted between two rival districts: Sunni-dominated, anti-Assad Bab al-Tabbaneh and Alawite majority, pro-Assad Jabal Mohsen. In response to the clashes, the city’s political and security figures met, agreed to a cease-fire and called for the redeployment of the Army, which then implemented a security plan to restore order in the city. Sunday, troops detained 18 gunmen and seized quantities of arms, ammunition and military hardware in Al-Zahiriyeh neighborhood, which is adjacent to Bab al-Tabbaneh. Eleven of the men were later released. Soldiers also carried out additional raids in search of gunmen and arms in a bid to prevent a renewal of fighting. (daily star)