Several bodies were seen at the site of the south Beirut blast, an LBCI witness said after a powerful explosion struck in southern Beirut near a complex used by Lebanon's Hezbollah in the vicinity of the Roueis region on Thursday.              

He said at least five buildings were damaged and many cars in the area were in flames with people still inside of them. The blast sent a column of black smoke over the densely populated area in the south of the Lebanese capital.                        

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told LBCI that the blast came as a result of a 35 kg explosive device strapped to a car, adding that several victims may have fallen in its wake.                
In this context, caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil called on all hospitals in Beirut and its suburbs to receive all those injured in the blast.  
          
For his part, the Operations Director for the Lebanese Red Cross George Kettaneh told LBCI that over 300 casualties had fallen, adding that several have so far been transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment. He also confirmed dozens dead.                  

"Several buildings have been damaged by the blast, and fire still rages on the scene of the explosion. Rescue workers are struggling to evacuate citizens who remain trapped inside their homes," he confirmed, urging other citizens to leave the area promptly for fear of a second blast.                      


This is the second explosion to target the area in the span of less than a couple of months. A large explosion rocked a stronghold of the Hezbollah group south of the Lebanese capital Tuesday July 9th, setting several cars on fire and causing an estimated 53 injuries, security officials said.    
          
The powerful blast came as many among Lebanon's Shiites began observing the holy month of Ramadan, and is the worst explosion to hit the area in years as a direct fallout of the civil war raging in neighboring Syria. In May, two rockets also slammed into the Hezbollah stronghold, wounding four people.                  

The rockets struck hours after the Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech to help propel Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to victory in Syria's civil war. In June, a rocket slammed into the same area, causing no casualties.              

The violence raises the specter of Lebanon being pulled into the increasingly sectarian civil war raging next door in Syria.                        

The Syrian conflict, now in its third year, is whipping up sectarian fervor in Lebanon. Sunni-Shiite tensions have risen sharply, particularly since Hezbollah raised its profile by openly fighting alongside President Assad's forces. Lebanese Sunnis support the rebels fighting to topple Assad, a member of a Shiite offshoot sect.                  

Syria-based rebels and militant Islamist groups have threatened to target Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon in retaliation for its increasingly overt role in Syria. The group's fighters played a key role in a recent regime victory in the town of Qusayr near the Lebanese border, and Syrian activists say they are now aiding a regime offensive in the besieged city of Homs.    

REACTIONS:

The Lebanese Armed Forces General Command released a statement whereby it confirmed that the Roueis blast is a result of a car bomb, adding that investigations are underway, and urging all citizens to facilitate the work of the concerned apparatuses.        

In turn, President Michel Sleiman dubbed the Dahiyeh explosion a "cowardly act that targets the entire country."                                  

This as, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati declared Friday a national day of mourning and called on the Higher Defense Council to hold a meeting.

Head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblatt accused Israel of being behind the attack, dismissing the possible involvement of the Free Syrian Army in the blast.                                        
Jumblatt stressed the need to end the current political deadlock, to form a national unity cabinet, to deploy concerted efforts and to intensify cooperation between the security apparatuses.              

Jumblatt offered his utmost condolences to the families of the victims.                 

Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel said the attacks targeting Beirut’s Southern Suburbs "affect the entire country, calling for solidarity amongst the Lebanese people in the face of such criminal acts".             

                       

In the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, residents distributed sweets to commuters and passersby following the explosion in a show of celebration. 


LBCI/REUTERS/AP