Sporadic sniper fire in the northern city of Tripoli claimed the life of a child and wounded another on Wednesday. Fighting broke out anew between local militias today after unknown gunmen shot dead a resident of Jabal Mohsen district. The fighting is escalating on the international motorway between Tripoli and the northern Akar region while the Lebanese army intensified patrols along the key roads in and around Tripoli. The recent round of fighting between the local supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime in the city has claimed 27 lives and wounded 180 others since mid March, according to local media reports.