BEIRUT: The factors responsible for the emergence of fundamentalism in north Lebanon are “frustration, negligence, oppression, poverty and provocation,” Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi said Thursday.
“Then how about a combination of all these elements, as it is the case in Bab al-Tabbaneh, Tripoli’s old souks and the northern Bekaa?,” he said, referring to the northeastern town of Arsal.
He made the remarks before walking into a Cabinet meeting at the Grand Serail in downtown.
Tripoli and other parts of northern Lebanon witnessed deadly clashes over the weekend between Islamist militants and the Army.
Fighting ended Monday after the Army seized the last militant stronghold in Bab al-Tabbaneh, and has since been carrying out massive raids in search of gunmen.
Over 200 suspected militants have been arrested across the north since the fighting broke out late-Friday. At least 42 people were killed in the battle, including 11 soldiers and eight civilians.
It was the worst bout of violence in Lebanon since a five-day battle between the Army and Islamist militants in Arsal left 19 soldiers and dozens of militants dead.
Rifi called on the government to invest in development projects in the north, believing it would help pacify the region.
“It is the right time for the state to come back to these areas in the framework of development, services and welfare,” Rifi said.
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