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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| 18 killed, 40 wounded in Tripoli bus bombing |
| 2008-08-13 |
| A bomb exploded adjacent to a bus carrying civilians and members of the military during Wednesday morning rush hour in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, killing at least 18 people and wounding at least 40, security officials said. The dead included 10 off-duty soldiers. The bomb was planted on the side of a main street and went off as the bus passed by. The streets were filled with people heading to work, which contributed to the many casualties, the officials said. The military had no immediate comment. The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The blast raised suspicions that al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants may have sought revenge on the military for clashes last year at a nearby Palestinian refugee camp. But some local media speculated it may be aimed at undermining a visit later Wednesday by the Lebanese president to Syria to patch up stormy relations between the neighbors. Information Minister Tarek Mitri described the incident as a big terrorist explosion but would not speculate on who was behind it. "The hands of the criminals have hit in Tripoli against innocent soldiers and civilians," he told reporters in Beirut. "Once again, they want our country to be an arena for settling scores and battling for influence." Shattered glass could be seen in the Banks Street in Tripoli's center. Witnesses said fire engines and ambulances had rushed to the scene, while soldiers and policemen cordoned off the area to keep onlookers away and to investigate. The small public bus, which had been bringing passengers from the remote northernmost Akkar region, home to many military members, was riddled with shrapnel from the blast. Soldiers used sniffer dogs to search nearby parked car, as forensic experts in white uniforms, face masks and gloves sifted through the wreckage of the bus picking up evidence. Tripoli, 90 kilometers (53 miles) north of Beirut, is Lebanon's second-largest city with a mostly Sunni Muslim population, dominated by groups loyal to the Western-backed parliament majority. It has witnessed sectarian clashes between Sunni fighters and followers of the Alawite sect, an offshoot Shiite sect, in the past weeks that killed and wounded dozens of people. The city is also close to the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared, which experienced deadly clashes in 2007 between Lebanese troops and members of the al-Qaida-inspired Fatah Islam group that left hundreds dead before the militants were defeated. During that fighting, the militants also were flushed out of the city. Fatah Islam group has claimed responsibility for a bomb blast that killed a soldier in Abdeh near Tripoli on May 31. Former Prime Minister Omar Karami - a prominent politician from Tripoli - said it is too early to speculate on the motive behind the explosion, but added that the high casualties among soldiers could mean the military was targeted and could be related to the 2007 Nahr el-Bared violence. The latest violence comes at an especially sensitive time for Lebanon. On Tuesday, after a five-day debate and weeks of negotiations that preceded it, the parliament approved a national unity government that gives the Iranian-backed Hezbollah opposition a more powerful say in the running of the country, including veto power over major decisions. The explosion also comes as President Michel Suleiman is expected on a landmark visit in neighboring Syria - the first visit by a Lebanese president in about three years. Ties have deteriorated since Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon under international pressure in the wake of the Hariri assassination. Hariri's supporters blame Syria for the killing, while Damascus denies involvement. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |