Al-Nour Square in Tripoli. (Credit: Michel Halak/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — A man was killed and his cousin and cousin's mother were injured when unknown individuals riding a motorcycle opened fire with automatic weapons in the Shaarani neighborhood of the Qobbeh area of Tripoli, L'Orient Today's correspondent in North Lebanon reported, citing security and local sources.
The injured man was transported to Tripoli Governmental Hospital for treatment, the hospital's director, Nacer Adra, told L'Orient Today by phone Monday evening, adding that the deceased was also removed to this hospital.
It remains unclear where the injured woman, who our correspondent's sources say was shot in the face, is being treated.
Security forces attended the scene and have opened an investigation into the incident and the motives behind it, our correspondent reported, noting that authorities are actively pursuing the shooters, who fled the scene.
The security situation has deteriorated in recent years amid Lebanon's economic crisis, which has plunged more than three-quarters of the population into poverty. In May, one man was killed and several others were injured after armed clashes broke out between a number of young men in Tripoli.
In late 2022, caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi announced a "sustainable" security plan for North Lebanon, following deadly shootings in Tripoli that raised fears of more violence. However, security incidents continue to occur in the city.
Reporting contributed by Michel Hallak and Madeline Edwards