Sectarian violence continues in Lebanon

Three people were killed and 27 wounded in the second day of sectarian clashes in the Lebanese city of Tripoli, Lebanese security officials said.

The deaths on Saturday come after six people, including a 10 year-old-boy and a policeman were killed and 15 others wounded on Friday - the first day of the clashes, according to police officials. A total of nine people have been killed and 42 wounded over the two days of fighting.

The clashes between Sunni Muslim gunmen and Alawites, an offshoot Shiite sect, broke out at dawn on Friday after a hand grenade was thrown toward a Sunni area, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Tension has been high along Lebanon's religious and political fault lines since the militant Shiite group Hezbollah overran parts of Beirut in May in response to government attempts to limit its power.

The deal that ended that crisis saw Hezbollah and other opposition politicians re-enter the government of the Western-backed prime minister, Fuad Saniora, with veto power over its decisions.

On Saturday, Lebanon's interior minister Ziad Baroud proposed "firm actions" to deal with the crisis. "Firmness is required at this stage," Baroud said, but did not elaborate on what measures would be taken.

Friday's clashes occurred as the government was struggling to draft a document outlining plans for its term in office amid disagreements with Hezbollah.

The fighting escalated as automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades were used between the Sunni Bab el-Tabaneh district and the predominantly Alawite Jabal Mohsen neighbourhood, the police officials said.

A cease-fire went into effect at 1pm (11GMT) after mediation by the grand mufti of north Lebanon, Sheik Malek al-Shaar, who has acted as a mediator throughout the recent weeks of fighting. But after a brief lull fighting broke out again, said residents of the city, located 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Beirut.

The police officials said three more people died in the afternoon fighting, including a policeman and two women. A 10-year-old boy struck by a stray bullet also died later on Friday, bringing the total to six people killed.

The International Committee of the Red Cross urged those fighting to stop and allow the wounded to be evacuated and medical personnel to carry out their tasks.

On the political front, the new Cabinet's efforts to forge a path forward have been complicated by disagreements with Hezbollah over its weapons.
Some groups say the job of defending Lebanon should fall to the national armed forces.

Hezbollah and its allies counter that the militant group's weapons are needed to defend the country against Israel.