Lebanese city of Tripoli rocked by deadly explosions

[Recursion]

Source: BBC

As Friday prayers ended, a blast hit the al-Taqwa mosque, usually attended by prominent Sunni cleric Sheikh Salem Rafii. He was unharmed.

A second blast five minutes later hit the al-Salam mosque.

War in neighbouring Syria has raised sectarian tensions between the city's Sunni Muslim and Alawite communities.

Sheikh Salem Rafii is one of the most prominent Sunni leaders in Lebanon, BBC Arabic reports from Beirut, and is believed to be a possible target.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23811328

---

Two consecutive blasts is a pattern we know too well...

[clarice]

1. Wow....I really don't think there is a sane answer to this mess. nt

[Benton D Struckcheon]

2. The firing of rockets into Israel was meant as a distraction,

this was the main show. There was a blast in a Hezbollah neighborhood of Beirut either earlier this week or last week. A big one. This is retaliation.

[geek tragedy]

3. Has Edrogan blamed Israel yet? nt

[MADem]

4. Great. I sense the hand of Hizb'allah in this mess.

When I saw Tripoli, I first thought Libya...and we don't need more drama there.

[John2]

5. Hizbullah denied

it. How do you know it wasn't groups trying to incite a War between Hezbullah and Sunnis? This guy also called for a War in Syria, but coincidentally, he wasn't at the Mosque. So why would Hizbullah strike a Mosque without him being there? You are Pro Israel aren't you?

[MADem]

6. Because they lie....a lot.

Who else would sacrifice a bunch of "close-but-no-cigar" Alawites, a small minority surrounded by a large majority?

If I wanted to create some drama that would benefit me, and I were a cold, heartless snake in the grass, I'd "sacrifice" one of my allies by presenting them as dumbass freedom fighters who bomb their enemies while outnumbered, surrounded and trapped--and then use the resulting bloodshed to whip up sentiment for a fight that most Lebanese shi'a really could give a shit about--they don't want to die in a foreign land defending a dictator, and that's what Iran via Hizb'ullah want them to do.

I'm anti-Assad, is what I am--the man is an animal who has broken out the chemical weapons. If you find nothing wrong with that, you have a perverse view of what's appropriate.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. What are you going on about?

Are you accusing Hezbollah of sacrificing Tripolis's Alawites?

Certainly, you are aware that Sunni gun men have been engaging in regular shoot-outs with them for months?

And that is some mind-reading ability you have, with that little scenario you dreamed up.

Also, Hezbollah isn't the only actor who could do something like this. It could be another Lebanese Shia group, if could be Syrian militants, it could be the Syrian state. Although my initial reading is that it's likely a tit for tat response for that deadly bombing in the Shiite area of Beirut a few days ago.

The Sunni radicals have been really hacked at Hezbollah for supporting Assad. They've been stirring up all kinds of shit. I wonder who lobbed those missiles at Israel.