Lebanese army retakes Tripoli neighborhood
After a weekend of intense fighting in the old souk, Tripoli residents remain on edge, even though the Lebanese army has regained control for now.
TRIPOLI, Lebanon — The Lebanese army took control of the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood Oct. 27, so the militants are gone for now. But after a weekend of intense fighting in the old souk, the city remains on edge and residents are still fearful of further violence.
Shopowners spent the day cleaning up the mess from the streets. Broken glass covered walkways, water seeped from broken hoses and electrical wires hung low from the weekend's gunfire and bombings.
A men's casual clothing shop was heavily hit by an army tank during the Oct. 25 crossfire. Mohammed, the shopowner, said he was "too depressed" to comment but his souk shop neighbor, Rouf, said that Mohammed had the "worst damage."
As shopowners swept the sidewalks in front of their shops and pulled cracked glass from their window fronts, city workers came in to help shovel glass from the streets. Workers climbed on ladders trying to clear wire and debris from their shaded umbrellas. Bullet holes were evident along the walls of the nearby mosque and the garage doors of the closed shops.
