[An Nahar] Two people were killed on Thursday and 21 others were maimed, including a soldier, in renewed fighting and sniper activity in the northern city of Tripoli...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The fighting had reportedly escalated following the death of Arab Democratic Party top military official Bassam Abdullah in Jabal Mohsen.
NNA identified the other victim as Musbah al-Nazer. Media reports said he was killed when snipers shot up his car.
Thursday's casualties bring the toll from four days of fighting to three dead and 60 injured including nine soldiers, according to NNA. A security official told Agence La Belle France Presse that four people have been killed and 35 others have been injured during the ongoing violence.
In the evening, the sounds of intermittent gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades were still being heard and sniper fire was targeting homes and roads in Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, the agency said.
"Army troops are still responding to the sources of gunfire and trying to contain the situation," it added.
Earlier, Tripoli MP Mohammed Kabbara reiterated his call to salvage the city, which for years has been witnessing deadly gunbattles between rival gunnies.
"We are losing patience," Kabbara told LBCI TV station. He urged President Michel Suleiman
...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too...
to take a "courageous stance to salvage Tripoli."
The politician also urged security agencies to establish a joint operations room to bring the situation under control.
The fighting broke out on Monday evening as celebratory gunfire erupted in Jabal Mohsen over Assad's appearance on al-Mayadeen television for an interview.
The violence between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen has worsened since the March 2011 start of Syria's uprising.