Lebanese army soldiers help injured soldiers after clashes Eight Lebanese army soldiers including an officer were injured at dawn Tuesday when their patrol came under an armed attack in the northern city of Tripoli. According to a statement issued by the Guidance Directorate, " gunmen opened heavy gunfire and attacked the military patrol with rockets in the area of al-Tabbaneh at 1:30 a.m. prompting the army to retaliate."
Eight soldiers including an officer were wounded in the assault as the army was carrying out raids to arrest the assailants.
The Lebanese government tasked the army and security forces in implementing a security plan in Tripoli last month after several rounds of fighting left scores of people including soldiers dead and injured.
The Sunni neighborhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen engaged in clashes linked to the war in Syria.
Bab al-Tabbaneh's residents back the rebellion against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad while Jabal Mohsen's residents are supportive of Assad.
The army and security forces have arrested dozens of gunmen and referred them to the military court.
Source: XINHUA