Addressing the Alawite community, Hariri said: "We are both Lebanese and we will not allow anyone to tamper with us."

"I will do everything I can in order not to let anyone damage the Alawites' security in Tripoli and to foil any external plot to tamper with the security of the Alawites or the security of Tripoli," Hariri said during an Iftar dinner in the port city of Tripoli.

He pledged to be the primary "backup" force of the Lebanese army in their effort to "protect Tripoli."

"Tripoli is targeted and we will stand beside it to confront the evil," Hariri vowed.

Tripoli has been the scene of a spate of deadly clashes since May between Sunnis and rivals from the Alawite community who support Hizbullah.

In June and July, 23 people were killed in battles between the two sides.

There has been tension between the two communities ever since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

Alawites are an offshoot of Shiite Islam and straddle the border into Syria whose President Bashar al-Assad is a follower of the faith.

Hariri arrived in Tripoli Saturday morning for talks with leaders of north Lebanon aimed at launching development projects and facilitating stability.

Hariri met representatives of Tripoli and the provinces of Dinniyeh, Minyeh and Akkar in an effort to tackle challenges facing north Lebanon.

The visit came a few hours after Hariri hit back at Syrian President Bashar Assad saying the side that "exports terror to north Lebanon has no right to fear the spread of fundamentalism in Lebanon."

He urged the Lebanese people, the Arab League and the international community to guard against attempts by Syria to make a comeback to Lebanon.

Hariri made the remark in an Iftar banquet at his Beirut residence.

"Lebanon faces a variety of threats. We have lately heard someone saying the situation in Lebanon remains fragile and no settlement is available for Lebanon before solving the crisis of fundamentalism," Hariri said in reference to a statement made by Assad.

"We say the side that exports terror to north Lebanon has no right to fear the spread of fundamentalism in Lebanon," Hariri added.

The Lebanese people, Hariri said, "realize who exported Fatah al-Islam to Nahr al-Bared and north Lebanon and know very well who organizes and finances terrorist activities."

"Lebanon is a sovereign and independent Arab state and no one has the right … to treat Lebanon as a non mature state," Hariri said.

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