One man was killed and four others were injured after a clash broke out between the Lebanese army and militants in Akkar, northern Lebanon, on Friday.
Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that the shootout erupted between a security patrol and wanted suspect Murad Zoaiter as he was being chased in al-Zoaiteriyeh neighborhood in al-Fanar.
In an official statement, the army said its patrol "came under gunfire from Murad Abbas Munir Zoaiter, who is wanted on 24 arrest warrants over theft, assault and drug dealing offenses." "The members of the patrol responded in kind," the statement added, noting that Military Police has launched a probe into the incident.
Soon after news of his death broke out, members of his clan in al-Zoaiteriyeh fired shots and rocket-propelled grenades into the air.
The military arrived at the scene to contain the tensions.
Clashes have frequently erupted between the army and members of the Zoaiter family in the Zoaiteriyeh area in its pursuit of wanted suspects.
Separately, the NNA said that gunfire erupted near an army checkpoint in the al-Sadaqa area in the northern region of Jurd Akkar.
The shooting resulted in the death of one and the wounding of four others including two soldiers, the agency added.
Source: QNA