2 killed, 6 wounded in clashes in northern Lebanon

Two people were killed and six others, including a soldier, wounded Saturday in separate bombing and shooting attacks in Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli. One person was killed and two others wounded by an explosive device, according to a local security sources. Later in the day, gun battles broke out between the rival neighborhoods of Alawite Jabal Mohsen and Sunni al-Baqqar, leaving one person dead and four wounded. The Lebanese army responded to the source of fire immediately, but sniper shootings took place between the two neighborhoods. Sectarian fighting in Tripoli has become more frequent and increasingly lethal since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. The Sunnis in Lebanon, who are backing the rebellion in Syria, are pitted against the administration of Syrian President Bashar al- Assad, who is Alawite.