Lebanon: Knife wielding attacker killed in Tripoli after stabbing soldier

Lebanon: Knife wielding attacker killed in Tripoli after stabbing soldier
A soldier was hospitalised on Saturday after being stabbed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli
2 min read
02 July, 2022
Tripoli has seen a heavy army presence for years due to past violence [Getty]

A knife wielding man was shot dead by the Lebanese army on Saturday after stabbing a soldier in the northern city of Tripoli.

"On July 2, 2022 at dawn in the Rifa area - Tripoli, the citizen (N.M.) tried to storm an army post, carrying a knife and a bag, and when the post guard came to stop him, the citizen stabbed him several times in different parts of his body...immediately, another soldier shot the assailant, killing him," read an army statement.

It added that the wounded soldier was transferred to hospital for treatment and was in stable condition, while the bag being carried by the attacker was examined by an explosive’s expert.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear and no further information was given.

Tripoli has witnessed years of instability and is considered the poorest city in the country. It suffers from chronic underdevelopment and neglect from the central government and has one Lebanon's highest rates of unemployment.

The country’s economic collapse has exacerbated the already dire situation, with crime recording an increase in recent months.

It also witnessed some of the worst violence due to the spill over from the Syrian civil war, where pro and anti-Syrian regime groups battled for years before the Lebanese army cracked down on militants in 2014, largely bringing the situation under control.