Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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June 22, 2008

Sectarian Clashes Kill 3, Wound 30 in Northern Lebanon 
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1CCF267:A6F02AD83191E160E1A871D5527BD82121A4E82C900CD027&
 
Fighting between pro-government supporters and their rivals woke
residents of the northern city of Tripoli before dawn today 
    " height=190 alt="A pro-government gunman, holds his AK-47 as he
sits on his scooter at Bab el-Tabaneh district, in Tripoli, north of
Lebanon, 22 Jun 2008" hspace=2
src="http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1CCF268:A6F02AD83191E160E1A871D5527B
D82121A4E82C900CD027&" width=195 vspace=2 border=0>  A pro-government
gunman, holds his AK-47 as he sits on his scooter at Bab el-Tabaneh
district, in Tripoli, north of Lebanon, 22 Jun 2008

 Lebanese officials say fighting between pro-government supporters and
their rivals has killed three people and wounded at least 30 others in
the country's second largest city.

 Machine-gun fire and explosives woke residents of the northern city of
Tripoli before dawn unday. It is not clear what sparked the clashes
between pro-government Sunnis and Alawite fighters who support the
Shi'ite Hezbollah opposition movement.

 Government soldiers have been deployed to the area, and local leaders
have held talks to try to contain the conflict. 

 Similar sectarian street fighting threatened to push Lebanon back into
a civil war last month. But the Arab League brokered a deal to end the
fighting and Lebanon's 18-month-long political crisis. 

 Under the deal, a 30-member Cabinet would give the Hezbollah-led
opposition veto power over government decisions. Efforts by Prime
Minister Fuad Siniora to form a unity cabinet with members of the
opposition have yet to be successful.

 Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

 


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