Wednesday, Aug 25, 2010
BEIRUT (AFP)--Lebanese soldiers were deployed in force Wednesday in Beirut ahead of the funerals of three people killed in a clash between two pro-Syrian movements, the Shiite Hezbollah and a Sunni group.
The clash between Hezbollah and Al-Ahbash broke out late Tuesday in the mainly Muslim west Beirut district of Burj Abi Haidar, a stronghold of parliament speaker Nabih Berri's Shiite movement Amal which is allied with Hezbollah.
The Lebanese cabinet was to discuss the incident in a scheduled meeting later Wednesday.
Tuesday's clashes marked the worst violence to hit Beirut since May 2008, when 100 people were killed in battles between supporters of a Hezbollah-led alliance and those of Lebanon's pro-Western Sunni prime minister, Saad Hariri.
An army spokesman told AFP the situation was calm Wednesday afternoon, although Lebanese army tanks and patrols could be seen across the capital throughout the day.
Supporters of the two movements used rocket-propelled grenades and machine-guns in four hours of fighting that erupted at about 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) Tuesday and also left 10 people wounded.
Two victims have been identified as Hezbollah members Mohammed Fawaz, the Shiite party's representative to Burj Abi Haidar, and Ali Jawad. The third was named as Ahmed Omayrat of Al-Ahbash.
Jawad was buried in his hometown of Kfar Fila in southern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon and Omayrat was to be buried in Burj Abi Haidar later the same day. Fawaz's funeral is planned for Thursday.
Witnesses said the clash began as an argument between Fawaz and supporters of the Sunni group over a parking space near a mosque popular among Al-Ahbash supporters.
The violence broke out at around the time of "iftar," the meal that breaks the dawn-to-dusk fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Hezbollah and Al-Ahbash, which describes itself as a charity promoting Islamic culture, said in a joint statement that Tuesday's "regrettable incident was isolated and did not have any political or confessional basis."
Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful political and military force, is backed by Syria and Iran.
Al-Ahbash emerged in 1983 and gathered strength during Syria's military deployment in Lebanon, which ended under international pressure after the 2005 murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, the prime minister's father. The movement has since lost considerable weight.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
25-08-10 1407GMT
