BEIRUT: Heavy fighting broke out in and around Beirut today [Oct 29], imperilling a nine-day-old ceasefire in Lebanon’s 18-month civil war. Leftists and right wing private armies traded night long grenade-throwing assaults and point-blank volleys of machinegun fire.
Each side claimed it blocked frequent penetration attempts mounted by tanks and armoured cars along the frontline. …
The city shook to thundering explosions of heavy rockets as hospitals and militia sources reported more than 45 killed and 65 wounded in the … clashes. …
… A spokesman for a small Arab peacekeeping force said the outbreak was a “serious setback that we are trying hard to contain before it undermines the whole Arab-sponsored peace plan to end the Lebanese conflict.” — News agencies
[Meanwhile, as reported from Rawalpindi,] Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will examine some concrete proposals for bolstering Pakistan’s co-operation with … Saudi Arabia, both in the fields of health and manpower.
This was stated by Federal Health Minister, Taj Mohammad Jamali, on the eve of his departure for Riyadh. … [He told a news agency] that he was going to discuss … setting up of joint Pakistan-Saudi medical institution.
Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026
