Lebanon caught in crossfire of Syrian war again with car bomb blast

A powerful car bomb that tore through a busy area of Beirut has killed at least 18 people in the bloodiest attack so far linked to Syria’s civil war on Lebanese civilians.

The blast, in a neighbourhood that is a stronghold of Hezbollah, is the second in just over a month to hit one of the Shi’ite militant group’s bastions of support, and the deadliest in decades.

It raises the spectre of a sharply divided Lebanon being pulled further into the conflict next door, which is being fought on increasingly sectarian lines pitting Sunnis against Shi’ites.

The UN Security Council strongly condemned the terrorist attack, calling it a heinous act. Council members stressed that terrorism “constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable”.

Outgoing Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati declared yesterday a day of mourning for the victims. Syria-based Sunni rebels and militant Islamist groups fighting to topple Syria’s president Bashar Assad have threatened to target Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon in retaliation for it intervening on behalf of his regime in the conflict.

Yesterday’s explosion ripped through a crowded, overwhelmingly Shi’ite area tightly controlled by Hezbollah, turning streets lined with vegetable markets, bakeries and shops into scenes of destruction.

The blast appeared to be an attempt to sow fear among the group’s civilian supporters and did not target any known Hezbollah facility or figure.

Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV and Red Cross official George Kattaneh said the death toll was at least 18 and more than 280 people were wounded.

The army said the explosion was caused by a car bomb. It called on residents to co-operate with security forces trying to evacuate people trapped in their homes.

Syria’s conflict has spilled across the border into its neighbour on multiple occasions in the past two years. Gunfire from Syria has hit border villages, while clashes between Lebanese factions backing different sides have left scores dead.

The blast came despite rigorous security measures taken in the past few weeks by Hezbollah around its strongholds. It also came a day before Hezbollah’s leader was scheduled to give a major speech marking the end of the month-long 2006 war with Israel.

A previously unheard-of group calling itself Aisha the Mother of Believers Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack in a video posted on YouTube. , saying it is the second “message” they have sent since last month’s blast in the area. The authenticity of the claim could not be independently verified.

A masked man who read the statement called on civilians to stay away from Hezbollah strongholds, saying the militant group is “an agent for Iran and Israel”.