BEIRUT, Dec 4: The Lebanese army was on high alert on Monday after a backer of the Shia opposition was killed in a Beirut street fight with government supporters, a correspondent said.
Around 30 armoured vehicles and some 200 soldiers controlled access to southern Beirut's Kaskas neighbourhood where clashes broke out late on Sunday, leaving one man dead and 12 others wounded.
The fatality was the first in the capital since the start of Friday's massive opposition rally aimed at toppling the cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, whose government is led by an anti-Syrian parliament majority elected last year.
Kaskas, populated mainly by supporters of the Western-backed Siniora administration, is around three kilometres from central Beirut's government offices where a protest led by pro-Damascus Hezbollah supporters continued.“The first martyr of the opposition has fallen to gunfire,” opposition groups said in a statement, pledging to “continue the people's protest movement until a unity government is formed.” ”In the name of the blood that has been spilled, we call on the people to amplify the movement and turn out on the rallying square in a peaceful and civil protest,” it said.
While word spread among the tightly disciplined Hezbollah supporters to stay calm and avoid retaliation, a heavy army and police presence throughout the city manned road blocks, causing traffic jams and gridlock across the capital.
Sunday's clashes erupted when Hezbollah supporters drove through the neighbourhood after leaving the scene of the open-ended protest to demand a new national unity government, the army said.
Police and witnesses said taunts were exchanged and several dozen people quickly became involved, most throwing punches or wielding planks of wood before gunshots rang out. It was not known who fired the shots.
One of the 13 people taken to hospital later died of his injuries, police said. Hospital sources identified him as Ali Ahmad Mahmud, 20.
Al-Mostaqbal television, which is owned by the Future Movement of anti-Syrian parliament majority leader Saad Hariri, said the army detained three Syrians who had allegedly provoked the incident by throwing stones from an overhead bridge at the passing Hezbollah cars.
The army did not confirm this, saying only in a statement that the army “deployed and successfully restored order”.
Shortly after the clashes, Mr Hariri appealed to his supporters to stay “calm and not respond to provocation”.
Around 100,000 people attended Sunday's protest outside the government offices, after the demonstration began on Friday with a mass show of force from hundreds of thousands of flag-waving protesters.
The government, which has been under growing opposition pressure since six pro-Syrian ministers resigned last month, has rejected calls to step down and appealed for a return to dialogue.—AFP
