Judiciary indicts 3 Lebanese fugitives over Tripoli clashes

BEIRUT: Military Investigative Judge Fadi Sawan indicted Thursday three Lebanese fugitives for joining a terrorist organization with the aim of planning terrorist attacks and engaging in sectarian clashes in the areas of Jabal Mohsen and Bab Al-Tabbaneh in Tripoli.

The case, which was referred to the Military court, also involved charges of illegal trafficking and possession of arms.

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria, Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, has witnessed several rounds of violence between residents of the Alawite-majority Jabal Mohsen neighborhood and gunmen from the predominantly Sunni area of Bab al-Tabbaneh.

The city was also the scene of several rounds of clashes pitting the Lebanese Army against Islamist militants.