Five killed in Lebanon clashes

Beirut : At least five people were killed Friday and 52 others injured in ongoing clashes in Tripoli in Lebanon, a security source told Xinhua. The clashes began between the two rival Sunni neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Alawite Jabal Mohsen Monday. The army used heavy machine guns in response to firing and flares and has been patrolling the Syria Street dividing the two neighborhoods, the source said. The fighting broke out Monday evening following Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's appearance in Lebanon based al-Mayadeen TV in an interview. Bab al-Tabbaneh's Sunni inhabitants support the rebellion against the Assad regime while Jabal Mohsen, a majority Alawite neighborhood, backs the Syrian president.