Grenade attack wounds 4 in northern Lebanon

BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — A grenade attack on a coffee shop in the northern city of Tripoli wounded four people Wednesday, Lebanese security officials said.

The officials said it was not immediately clear if the attack was related to the holy month of Ramadan, when observant Muslims abstain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk. Islamic militant groups are known to operate in the city.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the two attackers were on a motorcycle when one of them threw a grenade. The two then fled the scene.

During Ramadan in Lebanon, it is normal to see people eating and drinking in public during the day. Nearly one third of the tiny Arab country is Christian.

Until recently, Tripoli regularly witnessed clashes between Sunni gunmen and members of the minority Alawite sect, of which Syrian President Bashar Assad is a member. The army has since entered the area and detained several local commanders, ending nearly seven years of sporadic clashes.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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