Death toll in northern Lebanon clashes reaches 12

In the north of Lebanon armed clashes continue unabated, sparked by events in neighboring Syria. Violent skirmishes are taking place in the center of Tripoli - the second largest city in the country, located 90 kilometers from Beirut, The Voice of Russia reported.

In the past 24 hours 12 civilians have been killed there, with more than 40 people wounded. The conflict threatens to spill over into neighboring areas of Lebanon.

The activists of Sunni radical groups, and members of the Alawite militia supporting the Syrian regime, resort to automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades.

The gendarmes on the line separating Sunni and Alawi quarters are trying unsuccessfully to broker a ceasefire. Residents are leaving the city's neighborhoods, located dangerously close to the center of violence.

After meeting with the heads of security structures in Tripoli, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the army to intervene in the events and restore order with an iron hand.

The political leader of the Lebanese Christians General Michel Aoun insists the aggravation of the situation in Tripoli is a direct consequence of the Syrian crisis, which, in his words, "is starting to spill into Lebanon".

He warned about the danger of the northern Akkar province turning into "an isolated zone" and becoming a rebel base for those fighting against the Syrian regime, ITAR-TASS reported.