This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7391600.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Lebanon fighters shut down media | |
(30 minutes later) | |
Gunmen loyal to Hezbollah have shut a pro-government TV station and newspaper as battles continued between the group and Lebanese government supporters. | |
Future News, owned by Saad Hariri, the leader of the pro-Western governing coalition, went off the air as fighting entered a third day. | |
The offices of Mr Hariri's al-Mustaqbal newspaper were reportedly set ablaze by opposition gunmen. | |
Fighting erupted over a government move to shut Hezbollah's telecoms network. | |
At least 10 people, mainly civilians, have been killed and more than 20 injured in several parts of the city since the clashes began. | |
'Cut the hand' | |
Correspondents say the bloodshed amounts to the worst internal strife since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war. | |
Advertisement | |
Gunfire on the streets of Beirut | |
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called Tuesday's move to close the movement's telecommunications network a "declaration of war". | |
He vowed to "cut off the hand" behind the decision, in a speech on Thursday. | |
The United Nations Security Council is urging the rival parties to stop fighting immediately. | The United Nations Security Council is urging the rival parties to stop fighting immediately. |
'Save Lebanon from hell' | |
Clashes continued into Friday morning as gunmen fought with rifles and grenade launchers in central and southern areas of the city. | Clashes continued into Friday morning as gunmen fought with rifles and grenade launchers in central and southern areas of the city. |
Earlier, the Lebanese army command warned its unity was at risk if the ongoing political crisis and civil unrest in Beirut continued. | Earlier, the Lebanese army command warned its unity was at risk if the ongoing political crisis and civil unrest in Beirut continued. |
Mr Hariri has called on gunmen from both sides to withdraw from the streets "to save Lebanon from hell". | |
The Sunni leader also said Hezbollah should lift its "siege" of Beirut, and called for a meeting with Sheikh Nasrallah as soon as possible. | |
Mr Hariri also proposed a compromise on the government decision to close down Hezbollah's telecommunications network, calling it a "misunderstanding" and saying the army would have the final call. | |
On Tuesday, the government declared the group's fixed-line network covering its strongholds of south and east Lebanon, and southern Beirut, illegal, saying it was a threat to state security. | |
Sheikh Nasrallah had earlier said his group's military wing regarded the network as "the most important part" of its defensive measures. |