Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi condemned on Sunday the eruption of clashes in the northern city of violence, saying that the latest round of unrest between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen exposes Lebanon on the security level.

He said during his Sunday sermon: “It is unfortunate that the conditions in Lebanon are ripe for such clashes to happen.”

The army carried out on Sunday a raid in the inner markets of the northern city of Tripoli where it arrested a number of suspects, reported the National News Agency.

It raided the store of Hatem al-Janzarli, who is suspected of opening fire at the army.

Clashes intensified on Sunday evening in the northern city of Tripoli as the casualty toll from two days of fighting rose to 11 dead and at least 70 injured.

"The situation has largely deteriorated in Tripoli as dozens of rocket-propelled grenades hit the frontiers of al-Mankoubin, al-Riva, al-Baqqar, Souk al-Qameh, al-Barraniyeh, Hariri Residential Complex, al-Amerkan and Syria Street," state-run National News Agency reported.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Saturday that the Lebanese state will not hesitate in taking all the necessary decisions to avert the situation in the northern city of Tripoli, saying that the security forces will deal firmly with violators.

“We have takes several security decision that should aid the security forces in carrying out their tasks in Tripoli,” Miqati told reporters after talks with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Youhanna X Yazigi at Balamand University.

Clashes in rival neighborhoods in the northern city of Tripoli resumed on Saturday, leaving six people dead and at least 22 others wounded, after a resident was shot in his feet in a renewal of targeted sectarian attacks.

Snipers in the Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen districts became active when Wassim al-Khatib, a Alawite, was shot in his feet in the area of al-Beddawi-al-Mankoubine, in the second such incident in three days.

Hizbullah condemned on Friday the assault against a number of residents from the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood in the northern city of Tripoli, saying that criminal gangs bent on creating sectarian strife were behind the attack.

It said in a statement: “The criminal gangs, which are being offered political cover by the March 14 camp, are continuing on driving their knife into Tripoli's bleeding wound.”

Head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora condemned on Friday the attack on Thursday against a number of residents from the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood in the northern city of Tripoli, describing it as a “cowardly and criminal act.”

He noted that the assault was an attempt to create strife throughout Lebanon, demanding that an investigation be launched in the incident.

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel snapped back at the critics of the security plan in the northern city of Tripoli, saying top officials should support him before making any criticism of shortcomings.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published on Friday, Charbel said: “The security plan is still on and will be completed.”

The northern city of Tripoli witnessed renewed sectarian tension on Thursday after at least three residents of the neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen were injured in a shooting.

The state-run National News Agency said assailants shot the three men in their feet in the area of al-Zahriyeh.

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel has said Qatari officials informed him that they were exerting strong efforts to win the release of two bishops kidnapped in Syria.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published on Thursday, Charbel said the officials stressed to him that Doha was working with persistence to resolve the case of Bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi, who were kidnapped by armed men in Syria in April.