Calm returned
to the Beirut Southern Suburbs, mainly in the region of Bir al-Abed where an
explosion that targeted a parking lot in the region on Tuesday injured 53
people and left heavy material losses.
This as
a tent was set up over the location of the explosion where at least 7 buildings sustained damage.
Military
sources told LBCI that the security apparatuses have found evidence that may
uncover the perpetrators of the attack, noting that no arrests have been
carried out so far.
The sources also
revealed that the Lebanese security apparatuses have been receiving warnings
from foreign agents regarding the attack, adding that “the reports stating
that fundamentalist parties may be responsible for this act are not far from reality.”
At least 53 people were wounded in Tuesday's blast which, for some, was a worrying sign that Syria's civil war is beginning to consume its smaller neighbor.
The car bomb struck a bustling commercial and residential neighborhood in Bir el-Abed, an area of particularly strong Hezbollah support, as many Lebanese Shiites began observing the holy month of Ramadan.
The blast went off in a parking lot near the Islamic Coop, a supermarket usually packed with shoppers.
One man wounded in the blast said on Wednesday that the explosion was targeting the resistance, but that "God willing, morale is high."
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, there have been growing fears in Lebanon that Hezbollah could face retaliation for its now overt role fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops.
Bir el-Abed is only few hundred yards (meters) from what is known as Hezbollah's "security square," where many of the party's officials live and have offices.
It was heavily bombed by Israeli warplanes during the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
The area, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah once received dignitaries before the 2006 war, was completely destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.
Nasrallah has since gone underground, only rarely appearing in public and never for more than few minutes, fearing Israeli assassination.
The explosion in the heart of Hezbollah's bastion of support raised the worrying specter of Lebanon being pulled into the violent Sunni-Shiite struggle in the region, with sectarian killings similar to those plaguing Syria and Iraq.
The Syrian conflict, now in its third year, is whipping up sectarian fervor.
Sunni-Shiite tensions have risen sharply, particularly since Hezbollah raised its profile by openly fighting alongside Assad's forces.
Lebanese Sunnis support the Syrian rebels fighting to topple Assad.
LBCI/REUTERS
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