Two powerful explosions at two mosques in Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli | ...no, not that one, the other one... |
The head of the Lebanese Red
A Red
The first explosion took place in the Sunni-dominated district of al-Zaherya, as worshippers were leaving the Taqwa mosque. The second bombing targeted the Salam mosque in the district of al-Mina.
Lebanese television stations aired footage of bloodied victims and heavily damaged buildings. Men were seen running through the streets calling for "jihad" (holy war) against "the enemies of Islam."
A Lebanese army source at the scene told dpa the car bomb which detonated near al Taqwa mosque was loaded with 100 kilograms of explosives.
One witness, Hosni Kabbara, said he heard the first explosion and a few minutes later heard another powerful blast, which shook his building. His two daughters were injured.
By nightfall, bearded gunmen had deployed onto some of Tripoli's streets, establishing control points and checking identities.
Tripoli is home to Muslim Sunni extremist groups, with close links to al-Qaeda.
Members of radical Sunni organisations in the city held an urgent meeting following the blasts, and announced that they would protect their areas themselves. But Sunni moderate leaders called for restraint, emphasizing that the Lebanese army should be the sole protector of the Lebanese people.
Tripoli has recently seen deadly violence between backers and opponents of the armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in neighbouring Syria.