Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi. (Credit: Twitter/@LBpresidency)
BEIRUT — Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi affirmed on Thursday that "no security incident will affect the holding of the legislative elections" on May 15. His remarks come days after family disputes degenerated into armed clashes in Tripoli, leaving two people dead and several wounded.
Here's what we know:
• Armed clashes between rival families in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood of Tripoli on Monday left two people dead and several injured, while the following day, a new armed clash between people from rival families in the Hay al-Barraniyyeh neighborhood left two people injured.
• "The causes of the incidents in Tripoli are familial," Mawlawi explained at a press conference held after a meeting of the North Lebanon Security Council. "No security incident will affect the holding of the legislative elections," he insisted.
• "The Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army are conducting joint patrols in Tripoli to reassure residents," the minister continued. He also said that "the number of crimes has decreased in general, except for thefts", assuring however that the "ISF arrest many thieves on a daily basis."