Political conflict turns violent in Beirut

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Political conflict turns violent in Beirut. Photo: EFE

Supporters of Lebanon's U.S.-backed government fought gun battles in Beirut on Wednesday with gunmen loyal to the Hezbollah-led opposition, escalating the country's worst internal crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.

Supporters of Iranian-backed Hezbollah blocked main roads in the Lebanese capital with blazing tyres, old cars and heaps of earth, paralyzing the city and cutting routes to its sea and air ports. An opposition source said the protest campaign, including road blocks, would be extended until the government rescinded decisions taken on Tuesday affecting Hezbollah.

The government had pledged to take steps against a private telecommunications network operated by the group and accused it of installing spy cameras at Beirut airport. The cabinet also removed the airport's head of security, a figure close to the opposition, from his post.

Hezbollah, which is backed by both Syria and Iran, has led a 17-month-long political campaign against Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's anti-Syrian cabinet. The conflict has already led to bouts of lethal violence. Security sources said pro-government supporters exchanged assault rifle and grenade fire with Hezbollah sympathizers in the Beirut neighbourhoods of Noueiri, Ras al Nabae and Wata al-Musaitbeh. It was not clear if there were casualties.

Opposition gunmen took over an office of the Future political group led by Saad al-Hariri, leader of the governing coalition, Lebanon's most influential Sunni politician and a close ally of Saudi Arabia. Youths loyal to the rival sides pelted each other with stones in Mazraa, one of the Beirut districts where sectarian tensions have been high between Sunnis and Shi'ites.

The army, mostly seen as neutral during the crisis, deployed in force but did not attempt to remove the road barricades. Government minister Marwan Hamadeh said Hezbollah, a political group with a powerful guerrilla army, was "trying to use military means to block the airport". "Lebanon has said it will not become an Iranian satellite," he told Reuters.

A security source said the army had detained two men armed with M-16 assault rifles in Beirut. Tension between the government and Hezbollah escalated sharply on Tuesday when the cabinet said the group's communication network was "an attack on the sovereignty of the state". Hezbollah said it was part of its security apparatus and played a major role in its war with Israel in 2006.