Sectarian clashes in northern Lebanon continued for a second day on Saturday, killing three people and wounding 27, security officials said. The city of Tripoli has seen fierce clashes between pro-government Sunni Muslim gunmen and Alawite fighters, a small offshoot Shiite Islam allied with the Lebanese opposition and Syria. A total of nine people have been killed and 42 wounded over the past two days, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media. A cease-fire mediated by the grand mufti of north Lebanon, Sheik Malek al-Shaar, failed to take hold Friday as gunmen in Tripoli's Sunni Bab el-Tabaneh district exchanged automatic rifle fire and rocket-propelled grenades with gunmen in the predominantly Alawite Jabal Mohsen neighborhood.
Fighting came to a halt shortly before midday Saturday when Lebanese soldiers and policemen began fanning out in Tripoli, taking up positions between rival neighborhoods to prevent more hostilities.
However, sporadic gunfire could still be heard, local television stations reported.
National police commander, Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, said the army and police were under orders from President Michel Suleiman and Saniora to deal firmly with any troublemaker in the city. He said the army and internal security forces have brought in reinforcements to impose law and order and protect civilians. "The army will respond to any source of fire and will arrest any gunman," Rifi told reporters.