The al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front fired on Sunday a rocket against the eastern Bekaa town of al-Labweh.

It announced via Twitter that the attack was in response to the ongoing unrest in the northern city of Tripoli.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi voiced on Sunday his support for the Lebanese army, while condemning the attack against it in the northern city of Tripoli.

He said during his Sunday sermon: “We pray for the success of the military institution and security forces in preserving security and stability in Lebanon.”

Al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate threatened on Sunday to kill Lebanese soldiers it captured in fighting in August unless the army halts operations against Islamist militants in Lebanon's second city Tripoli.

The Lebanese army, meanwhile, said gunmen kidnapped a soldier from his home in the port city, the second seized in northern Lebanon since Saturday.

Several civilians and troops were killed as 20 soldiers and civilians were wounded in armed clashes in the old souks of the northern city of Tripoli that erupted Friday evening and continued until Saturday afternoon.

In the evening, the army said its units completed their deployment in the old souks and the al-Zahriyeh neighborhood after arresting several gunmen and wounding many others.

The army on Saturday seized weapons from a guard room at MP Khaled al-Daher's house in the northern city of Tripoli after “gunmen loyal to him” appeared on the street.

“The army confiscated four rifles from the guard room of MP Khaled al-Daher's house in the Tripoli area of al-Dam wal Farz,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam stressed Saturday that authorities will not allow “a bunch of terrorists” to take Tripoli hostage, in the wake of fierce clashes between the army and Islamist gunmen in the northern city.

“Following the successful security operation that the army carried out in Dinniyeh, which spared Tripoli and the North dangerous terror attacks, the Lebanese were surprised by a series of security violations and attacks on the army and security forces in the capital of the North,” Salam said in a statement.

Militant Ahmed Salim Miqati, who was arrested during an army raid in the town of Asoun in the northern district of Dinniyeh, and 12 members of his terrorist cell, had plans to execute violent attacks on the 27th of Oct against Ashura gatherings in several Shiite Lebanese areas, media reports said.

The cell that includes Miqati, 5 Lebanese and 7 Syrian nationals had plans to move from Tripoli to Beirut. Another terrorist cell was meant to join them from the Burj al-Barajneh and the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp to help execute suicidal terrorist attacks against Shiite gatherings in the southern suburb of Beirut, Nabatieh and Lassa in Jbeil.

Fierce clashes erupted Friday evening in the northern city of Tripoli, leaving at least eight army troops, including a first lieutenant, and several gunmen and civilians wounded.

Meanwhile, al-Jadeed TV said 15 people were injured, including eight troops. It said the army's casualties include a first lieutenant who was “critically wounded.”

A retired army soldier was critically wounded in a drive-by shooting on Thursday evening in the northern city of Tripoli, in the latest such attack against the military institution.

“Two masked men riding a motorbike opened fire at retired soldier Khaled al-Youssef in the Ibn Sina Street in Tripoli's al-Qobbeh, riddling his body with several bullets,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Internal Security Forces thwarted on Wednesday an attempt to smuggle hundreds of Benzhexol pills and an amount of hashish hidden in shoes into al-Qobbeh prison in Tripoli.

The ISF stated that during an inspection process of the prisoner's belongings, its forces in al-Qobbeh prison “discovered 500 pills of Benzhexol and two grams of hashish hidden in shoes.”