Following a relatively calm morning, sniper fire clawed its way back, goring the city’s fanciful serenity as the army  units tightened their security measures and expanded their deployment in the vicinity of Jabal Mohsen, Bab Tabbeneh and the surrounding areas, and carried out a series of raids in search of insurgents and weapons caches.

According to a communiqué issued by the Lebanese armed forces directorate, the military managed to seize on Thursday at dawn, in the locality of Souk Al-Kameh, an armory containing large quantities of explosives, homemade mortar shells, rifles and ammunition, in addition to a variety of military equipment.

The statement noted that the warehouse belongs to Ziad Allouki “who started, right after the raid, to spread lies, accusing the Army of tampering with religious symbols, in order to flare up sectarian strife.”

The army vowed to pursue its mission by tracking gunmen, warning that it will not hesitate in responding to those who are tampering with the city’s security.

Earlier in the day, the army raided areas in Al-Hara al-Berraniye and Souq al-Qameh and arrested a number of suspects. Subsequently, residents of the Souq al-Qameh area protested the arrest of youths by the LAF and blocked a nearby road with burning tires, prompting LAF troops to open fire to disperse the crowds.

Media reports also stated that masked gunmen roamed Tripoli's streets and fired into the air, forcing the closure of shops.

The city’s banks, schools and colleges have also shut their doors amidst a reportedly heavy gunfire being heard across the city.