Khazen

 

 

Lebanese soldiers in armored vehicles fanned out across the country on Monday to break down civilian roadblocks and chase gunmen off the streets as tempers flared over the killing of a top intelligence official who was a powerful opponent of Syrian involvement in Lebanon. Sectarian clashes killed at least five people. A sixth person was killed after soldiers returned fire following an attack on their patrol.

The killing of Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan in a Beirut car bomb on Friday sparked days of tensions, accusations and violence in Lebanon between supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his opponents. Al-Hassan was solidly in the latter group, and his supporters, many of them Sunni Muslims, blamed Damascus for the killing. Many also called for the resignation of the Hezbollah-dominated government, saying it is too cozy with the Syrian regime. [Link]