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Sunni Cleric Killed Amidst Sectarian Clashes In North Lebanon - RTT News

8/24/2012 6:51 PM ET
(RTTNews) - A Sunni cleric has been killed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli amidst fierce sectarian clashes fueled by the ongoing conflict in neighboring Syria, media reports citing witnesses and local officials said Friday.

Sheikh Khaled al-Baradei was reportedly shot dead by a sniper early on Friday, making him the fifteenth victim of the ongoing clashes in Tripoli since Monday. He was reportedly a commander of the Sunni Islamist fighters in the city.

The ongoing fighting in Tripoli involves members of the Alawite community and the city's Sunni majority, and centered around the Sunni Muslim district of Bab al-Tabbana and the Alawite district of Jabal Muhsin.

The Alawites support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the Sunnis oppose him. Lebanon is divided between Sunnis and Shiites, with the Alawite minority living amidst the two majority communities. Besides, thousands of Syrians, mostly Sunnis, have sought refuge in Lebanon after fleeing the ongoing violence in their home nation.

Syria's President Assad is from the Alawite community, but most of the top posts in his government and security forces are occupied by Shiites. The rebels attempting to topple the Syrian regime are mostly Sunnis, who are incidentally the majority in Syria.

The latest development comes despite efforts by the Lebanon government to ensure that the conflict in neighboring Syria does not spill across the border. Although the Lebanese security forces attempted to bring the situation under control on Wednesday, they were forced to retreat after suffering casualties.

Nevertheless, the Lebanese military managed to bring relative calm in Tripoli by Friday evening by deploying hundreds of soldiers backed by tanks along the street that separates the rival Bab al-Tabbana and Jabal Muhsin neighborhoods.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who is incidentally a Sunni from Tripoli, noted while speaking to reporters on Thursday that "the army is carrying out its role with all devotion." He made the remarks after holding a meeting with senior security officials as well as lawmakers at his residence in Beirut.

Mikati had earlier appealed to all concerned parties in Lebanon to end the "absurd battle." He also warned them against being "drawn into this blaze around Lebanon," apparently referring to the Syrian conflict.

Separately, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman expressed doubts about continuing bilateral relations with Syria under the current circumstances, saying: "When any relationship with a foreign entity harms Lebanon, we end it. And when the relationship is again in Lebanon's interest, we reinstate it."

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