Gunmen Gain Ground Among Lebanon Sunnis Emboldened by Syria War
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Four years ago, Mohamed Khalaf was an aid worker among Sunni Muslims in Tripoli’s poorest neighborhood. Now he’s leading a group of fighters against gunmen loyal to the Syrian government.
An armed man stood guard outside Khalaf’s house in the north Lebanese city’s Bab El-Tabbaneh district on a September afternoon as he received visitors including a local member of parliament. A Lebanese army vehicle was parked nearby, a presence that residents say has done little to stop attacks, forcing them to take up arms.