by saudigazette.com.sa — BEIRUT — Five persons including an official of Hezbollah, the Lebanese branch, were killed in gunfire shooting in the coastal region of Khaldeh south of Beirut on Sunday, according to local media reports. The media reported that gunmen opened fire during the funeral of Ali Shibli, a Hezbollah member, who was shot dead in the area on Saturday. The attack on the funeral was followed with exchange of gunfire and rocket propelled grenades between followers of Hezbollah and armed locals. Shibli is known as owner of a mini market in Khaldeh and official of Hezbollah. His store was set afire a year ago when one of the locals was shot dead.

The Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Sunday that he had called on the army to take immediate measures to restore calm in Khaldeh area that witnessed armed clashed in the wake of the murder of a citizen on Saturday. In a statement, the presidency said the president followed up on the sorrowful security incidents in Khaldeh, south of Beirut, that led to the killing and wounding of some citizens. Aoun called for the arrest of the shooter and safeguarding the ,obedient of citizens. Meanwhile the Lebanese Army announced that its forces have intensified their deployment in Khaldeh. The army command warned that its forces will open fire on any armed man on road, or any person planning to shoot from any place. National News Agency reported earlier in the day that gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) were heard at Aaramoun and Khaldeh during the funeral of a Hezbollah official.

The Lebanese Army said on its Twitter account that it had deployed units to Khaldeh town to “control the situation” and restore calm. The Lebanese Army and the security source said gunfire was exchanged. Local media showed footage of heavy gunfire and fires blazing in buildings in the area. Several hours following the initial clashes, a senior official said tensions had calmed down. The Lebanese Army said it had arrested four people in connection with the clashes. Several political parties voiced concern over the incident as it continued to unfold, reflecting a country on edge amid fears it could escalate and compound Lebanon’s multiple crises amid a political vacuum. — Agencies

SARAH EL DEEB  BEIRUT (AP) — At least two people were killed on Sunday south of the Lebanese capital when gunmen opened fire at the funeral of a Hezbollah commander who was killed a day earlier, an official from the group said. The Lebanese military said they deployed in the coastal town of Khaldeh to contain the tension after heavy fire — including from rocket-propelled grenades — terrorized residents and brought traffic to a standstill. The gunmen remain at large. The military warned it would fire at any source of fire or anyone carrying weapons on the main road. It said one of its soldiers was injured in the shooting. The violence is rooted in a personal vendetta. Lebanese media reported that a man from one of the Sunni Arab tribes of Khaldeh opened fire during a wedding party at a club on Saturday night, killing Ali Chebli, a fighter in Hezbollah. Chebli’s killer was apprehended, and his family explained the attack as revenge. It accused Chebli of killing a 15-year-old relative of theirs in shooting a year earlier. The family, of the Sunni Arab tribe, said in a statement that authorities never brought Chebli to justice because he was under the protection of the powerful Hezbollah group.

The Hezbollah official said gunmen ambushed Chebli’s funeral procession when it reached the family home, firing at the mourners, killing his brother-in-law and a friend, and injuring others. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters. The army deployed to defuse the tensions and free the family, who had taken shelter in the house with the body. The official called for the perpetrators of the violence to be brought to trial. Sectarian conflict in the area was sparked last year after a dispute over a Shiite religious banner that was hoisted in the area of the Sunni Arab tribes. Tensions often flare in the area.