Lebanon

Fighting erupts in the north on sixth day of unrest

Article published on the 2008-05-12 Latest update 2008-05-12 12:35 TU

Fighting on Mount Lebanon
( Photo : Reuters )

At least one man was killed in Lebanon Monday as pro-government Druse and Muslim Shia-Muslim loyalists fought in the northern port town of Tripoli, while tensions continue to escalate on the sixth day of strife between the two factions. At least 59 people have been killed and 200 injured so far after a prolonged political crisis has spread yet again.

On Monday, Lebanese troops moved into the Druze mountains southeast of the capital after a shootout between the two factions left at least 13 people dead, according to official sources.

But the country's army is unable to deal with the situation, says correspondent Edward Yeranian.

"The problem is, the army represents the 17 different religious groups in Lebanon just like the rest of the population and it would split into various fragments if one side tried to impose its will on the other," he says.

Many people have fled as armed Hezbollah loyalists hit homes with rockets and shops were vandalized.

"Even the Israelis didn`t do this to us," said one elderly Druze woman in the town of Shwayfat. "They (Hezbollah) came into our homes, terrified our children and broke everything."

Hezbollah gunmen seized large sections of Muslim west Beirut last week but the region remains calm in light of the recent violence. Beirut International airport remains closed and a border crossing into Syria is still blocked.

Lebanon's ruling Sunni-led majority have insisted that it would not negotiate with an armed Hezbollah.

The upsurge in violence started last Thursday when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused the Lebanese government of subversiveness after the government moved towards shutting down the Hezbollah telecoms network. The government also called for the removal of the chief of security at the airport, who allegedly sympathizes with Hezbollah.

Arab leaders are prepared to mediate amid fears that the recent violence might spread to the rest of the region.