Lebanese soldier killed while defusing explosive device

A Lebanese army soldier was accidentally killed Tuesday while trying to defuse a shell at a shooting and training field in the northern port city of Tripoli.

The army Guidance Directorate said in a statement that "a soldier was martyred when a military unit was dismantling an explosive device in Tripoli's Free Zone", Xinhua reported.

It added: "the military police arrived on the blast scene and launched a probe into the incident."

The army later identified the soldier as Alaeddine al-Oueik.