A gunman has killed four members of Lebanon's security forces in an overnight attack in the northern city of Tripoli. He later blew himself up after being surrounded by troops.

Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan described the attacker as a "lone wolf".

He has been identified as Abdul Rahman Mabsout, who is reported to have been a member of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) detained in Lebanon after returning from neighbouring Syria in 2016. </s> A lone gunman killed four members of the security forces in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli overnight before blowing himself up, officials said Tuesday.

"The shooting spree resulted in the deaths of two members of the Lebanese army and two members of the internal security forces," a security official told AFP.

The army confirmed it had lost two of its men and the national news agency confirmed the overall toll of four.

There was no immediate claim for the shooting and the gunman's motives were unclear but two security officials at one of the scenes of the attack told AFP that he was a militant recently released from prison.

The gunman sowed panic in the streets late Monday, as Lebanon's second city prepared for the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the feast marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

He first opened fire on a branch of the central bank, a security official said.

A large number of security force personnel were deployed and the gunman also opened fire on a police station and on a military vehicle in the ensuing manhunt.

The attacker was eventually cornered in a residential building and killed himself by detonating an explosives vest he was wearing.

Lebanon, including Tripoli and areas around it, was affected by a spillover of violence from the conflict in neighbouring Syria but the security situation has been quiet in recent years. </s> A militant attacked a security forces patrol in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli on Monday night, killing two police officers and two army soldiers, state news agency NNA and Reuters reported.

Two security sources told Reuters the police and army had encircled the gunman in a building after he threw a bomb at security forces in a government building and fired at a patrol.

One of the sources said that the attacker then blew himself up and that he had been in jail before on charges of belonging to Daesh.

The Lebanese military confirmed the attack and the death of a soldier and said the attacker had also fired at the security forces’ centre.

Lebanese authorities say they have foiled numerous attacks in recent years, including some tied to the conflict across the border in Syria. From 2013 to 2016, militants struck parts of Lebanon repeatedly with bomb attacks, but officials have since said that security has improved. </s> Military police and forensics in white overalls deployed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Tuesday after a lone gunman killed four security personnel before blowing himself up in an apartment in a residential building overnight.

The rare shooting, in which the gunman used a motorcycle to move around, opening fire on police and army vehicles, shook the predominantly Sunni Muslim coastal city on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Interior Minister Raya El Hassan told reporters the gunman, identified as Abdul-Rahman Mabsout, is a former member of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and now a "lone wolf." She said the situation was under control.

The shooting began late Monday with the gunman firing at a branch of the Lebanese Central Bank, then driving around, shooting at police and later at an army vehicle, killing four.

With police opening fire and using tear gas, he then drove to a residential building, where he shot his way up the stairs and into an empty apartment on the fourth floor and barricaded himself inside.

An hours-long standoff ensued, culminating with security forces storming the apartment. Cornered, the gunman detonated his explosives vest, killing himself instantly.

On Tuesday, there were multiple signs of battle. At least four civilian cars and one police car were heavily damaged, their windshields smashed and pocked by bullet holes.

Military police and forensics removed bullets from the street. Tear gas canisters were still on the ground.

The nine-floor apartment building where Mabsout died was shell pocked and the apartment was partially destroyed.

The owner of the apartment said he and his family were not in the house when the gunman stormed the building, but his flat was left largely destroyed by the explosion. He said the attacker entered his building after shooting one person in the street.

"Thank God there was nobody in the house, and my door is not made of steel, it is a wooden door so I think he broke the door and he walked in," Kamal Ferri told The Associated Press.

Mabsout was described as a former member of ISIS who fought with the extremist movement in Syria. He had been detained when he returned to Lebanon in 2016 and was released a year later.

The Lebanese army announced earlier it had increased security around the country because of Eid el-Fitr, when people go out to celebrate.

Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city, has in the past seen clashes between rival groups that support or oppose the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. The city is also home to some extremists who had fought against the Lebanese army.

Militants linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda militants have claimed responsibility over th years for attacks in different parts of Lebanon that killed dozens of people. Such attacks have been rare recently. </s> BEIRUT (Reuters) - Armed men fired at a patrol of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday night, killing two ISF members, state news agency NNA said.

The security forces and the army chased down the attackers and encircled them, it said.

A security source also said two ISF members were killed. </s> Lebanese military personnel secures the scene where a militant attacked a security forces patrol on Monday night, in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli, Lebanon, on Tuesday (Reuters photo)

BEIRUT — A militant attacked a security patrol in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli on Monday night, killing two police officers and two soldiers before blowing himself up, officials said.

Interior Minister Raya Al Hassan described it as a "lone wolf attack", though authorities cancelled Eid Al Fitr celebrations in the coastal city on Tuesday and promised to secure it.

Major attacks had dropped off in Lebanon since a wave of militant bombings — many of them linked to the war in neighbouring Syria — struck parts of the country from 2013 to 2016.

The gunman threw a bomb at security forces in a government building and opened fire on a patrol, two security sources told Reuters. The attacker had earlier been in jail on charges of belonging to Daesh, one of the sources said.

The militant then detonated an explosive belt after soldiers raided a residential building where he was holed up, the army said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri gave his condolences to the families of the dead and said all measures must be taken to protect Tripoli and "weed out any remnants of terrorism".

Interior Minister Raya Al Hassan, described the attack as "a new form of terrorism".

“Can I tell you we can curb it 100 per cent? We can’t curb it. Countries that are perhaps more advanced than us have not been able to,” she told a press conference.

The head of Lebanon’s internal security forces, accompanying her, said the agency constantly keeps tabs on suspects and sleeper cells.

“But when someone reaches a level of desperation in some cases, and carries out a crazy action, this leads us to not know about him [ahead of time],” Gen. Imad Othman told reporters.

Othman said the man had been in prison for a year and a month before being released, without giving further details. </s> BEIRUT (Reuters) - Armed men fired at a patrol of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces (ISF) in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday night, killing two ISF members, state news agency NNA said.

The security forces and the army chased down the attackers and encircled them, it said.

A security source also said two ISF members were killed.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Two soldiers and two police officers were killed by a gunman in the Lebanese city of Tripoli

A lone gunman killed four members of Lebanon's security forces in the city of Tripoli on Monday night before blowing himself up, state media report.

Two police officers and two soldiers died after the man fired at a bank, a police station and an army vehicle.

He detonated an explosive vest after being surrounded in a flat by troops.

No group has said it was behind the attack, but the gunman is reported to have been a member of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS).

The army identified him as Abdul Rahman Mabsout, who LBC television said was detained when he returned from Syria in 2016 and was freed the following year.

Security had earlier been increased across the country in preparation for Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Interior Minister Raya Haffar al-Hassan tweeted her condolences to the victims' families, saying: "The first night of Eid in Tripoli was very painful, but it's over now. The security forces and the army paid a heavy price to maintain security of the city... May God have mercy on our martyrs."

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At a news conference on Tuesday, Ms Hassan described the shootings as a "lone wolf attack" and a "new form of terrorism", Reuters news agency reported.

"Can I tell you we can curb it 100%? We can't curb it. Countries that are perhaps more advanced than us have not been able to," she added.

Tripoli has in the past been affected by deadly violence linked to the eight-year civil war in Syria, with clashes erupting between groups who support or oppose President Bashar al-Assad.

The city has also seen fighting between the army and Islamist militants. </s> At least three killed, two injured in a blast near the building of the Libyan Foreign Ministry in Tripoli and two attackers were neutralized.

According to Sky News Arabia, one of the attackers committed suicide and the other died of a bullet shot.

Earlier, the 218TV broadcaster reported that one of the three perpetrators was neutralized.

As seen in the pictures published by witnesses on Twitter, huge smoke has been visible over the ministry's building. According to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, shooting has also been heard in the area.

The staff of the ministry building been reportedly evacuated.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, while media reports suggest casualties.
A gunman kills four security officers and injures two before blowing himself up in Tripoli, Lebanon (BBC)