By Xinhua,
Beirut : The clashes between pro- and anti-government supporters in northern Lebanon calmed down on Monday evening after fightings claimed 10 lives and wounded 55 others, local Naharnet news website reported.
Guns fell silent as troops moved into the contested neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Baal Mohsen in the northern city of Tripoli, said the report, adding the deployment followed one hour of heavy fire exchanges of mortars, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, machine guns and automatic rifles.
Lebanese Army Command was quoted as saying in a communique that security forces are moving in following mediation efforts carried out by spiritual and political leaders.
It warned against the deployment of gunmen in the streets, vowing to use force against them to enforce law and order.
The clashes erupted around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) Sunday, two hours after unidentified assailants in the Baal Mohsen, a predominantly Alawite district loyal to the Hezbollah-led opposition, hurled hand grenades at Bab al-Tabbaneh, a mainly Sunni area that backs pro-government MP Saad Hariri’s Mustaqbal movement.
Mortars, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and automatic rifles were used in the confrontation, according to police.
Similar clashes erupted in various regions of the country in May when at least 70 people were killed and over 200 others wounded.