Weekend violence in Lebanon claims 3

TRIPOLI, Lebanon, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Fighting in northern Lebanon that killed three and injured more than 20 people is likely a result of conflict in neighboring Syria, officials said Sunday.

Gun battles continued Sunday in the mostly Alawite neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen and the Sunni district of Bab al-Tabbaneh, The Daily Star, Beirut, reported.

At least six members of the Lebanese Army were wounded when they stepped in to try and control the violence Friday -- security forces were instructed to arrest on sight anyone carrying weapons.

The rival neighborhoods are known for violence due to political and sectarian conflicts, the newspaper said. Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai he had concerns the armed uprising against the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad might have spilled over into Lebanon.

"I believe that the security incidents in north Lebanon are no doubt a result of the prevailing situations in Syria and north Lebanon," Mansour said.