Lebanese Soldiers Seize Arms Cache In Tripoli, Lebanon

Lebanon’s army said on Friday that it had seized a cache of weapons, including mortar rounds, grenades and other explosives, from the northern city of Tripoli after a night-time raid.

The forces conducted the raid late on Thursday, acting on a tip-off, the Daily Star reported. They located the arms cache in Tripoli’s Bab al-Tabbaneh district, where they seized a total of 50 mortar shells, four rocket launchers, ammunition and about 55 pounds of explosives among other military equipment.

The news comes one day after the army announced another raid where they arrested five individuals, including two suspected militants, late Wednesday in another Tripoli neighborhood. That raid also saw authorities confiscating military equipment, including firearms, ammunition, hand grenades and mortar rounds.

Another man was also arrested late Thursday for his alleged role in clashes that lasted several days last October between the Lebanese army and militant groups in Tripoli.

Lebanon has seen a significant rise in militant attacks, as the chaos engulfing Syria spills over its borders. Al Nusra Front has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks, including a deadly cafe bombing last week, which hit a district that's home to the country’s Alawite minority.