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| BEIRUT, Lebanon — A powerful car bomb exploded in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday afternoon, ravaging a mixed neighborhood populated by many supporters of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia and political party. It appeared to be the latest in a series of bombings over the civil war in neighboring Syria, where Hezbollah has sent fighters to aid government forces and its opponents support the insurgency. | BEIRUT, Lebanon — A powerful car bomb exploded in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday afternoon, ravaging a mixed neighborhood populated by many supporters of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia and political party. It appeared to be the latest in a series of bombings over the civil war in neighboring Syria, where Hezbollah has sent fighters to aid government forces and its opponents support the insurgency. |
| Lebanese television showed scenes of chaos in a residential area, with smoke rising above charred cars, crowds of people pushing past one another and ambulances and fire trucks arriving. The state-run National News Agency said at least four people were killed and more than 70 wounded. Other Lebanese media put the death toll at six. | |
| The Lebanese army said the source of the blast appeared to have been more than 40 pounds of explosives packed in a dark green Jeep Cherokee. The National News Agency said human remains had been found in a car near the blast site but that the authorities had not determined whether they belonged to a suicide bomber. | |
| The blast came six days after a car bomb killed a prominent member of the Future bloc, the Sunni party that is Hezbollah’s main political rival. And it came a day after reports surfaced of the arrest by Lebanese authorities of a Saudi militant who leads the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a group affiliated with Al Qaeda that claimed responsibility for a November suicide bombing at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. Iran is an ally of Hezbollah. | The blast came six days after a car bomb killed a prominent member of the Future bloc, the Sunni party that is Hezbollah’s main political rival. And it came a day after reports surfaced of the arrest by Lebanese authorities of a Saudi militant who leads the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, a group affiliated with Al Qaeda that claimed responsibility for a November suicide bombing at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. Iran is an ally of Hezbollah. |
| The recent bombings, which have primarily killed civilians and instilled fear across Lebanon, are part of a string of escalating attacks in recent months related to the nearly three-year-old conflict in Syria, which has deepened Lebanon’s pre-existing political and sectarian divisions. Hezbollah’s fighters have been helping the Syrian army, and the Future bloc endorses the insurgency, which Lebanese Sunni militants have crossed the border to join. | The recent bombings, which have primarily killed civilians and instilled fear across Lebanon, are part of a string of escalating attacks in recent months related to the nearly three-year-old conflict in Syria, which has deepened Lebanon’s pre-existing political and sectarian divisions. Hezbollah’s fighters have been helping the Syrian army, and the Future bloc endorses the insurgency, which Lebanese Sunni militants have crossed the border to join. |
| Fearing more indiscriminate violence and a further unraveling in Lebanon, leaders of the divergent factions in the country’s complex politics rushed to condemn the latest bombing, even those who want Hezbollah out of Syria. The March 14th coalition, of which the Future bloc is the largest party, said in a statement that each victim was “a martyr mourned by all Lebanese.” The March 14 leader, Saad Hariri, the former prime minister, said “the terrorism that is targeting civilians, innocents and civilian areas is criminal behavior.” | Fearing more indiscriminate violence and a further unraveling in Lebanon, leaders of the divergent factions in the country’s complex politics rushed to condemn the latest bombing, even those who want Hezbollah out of Syria. The March 14th coalition, of which the Future bloc is the largest party, said in a statement that each victim was “a martyr mourned by all Lebanese.” The March 14 leader, Saad Hariri, the former prime minister, said “the terrorism that is targeting civilians, innocents and civilian areas is criminal behavior.” |
| In a video statement last week, a cleric acting as a spokesman for the Abdullah Azzam Brigades declared that the group would not stop its bombings until Hezbollah withdraws its fighters from Syria and Lebanese authorities release youths imprisoned for militant activities. Lebanese officials had expressed concern after the arrest of the group’s leader, Majid al-Majid, about the possibility of retaliatory attacks. | In a video statement last week, a cleric acting as a spokesman for the Abdullah Azzam Brigades declared that the group would not stop its bombings until Hezbollah withdraws its fighters from Syria and Lebanese authorities release youths imprisoned for militant activities. Lebanese officials had expressed concern after the arrest of the group’s leader, Majid al-Majid, about the possibility of retaliatory attacks. |
| Areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah maintains its headquarters among residents who are mainly Shiite but include Sunni Palestinians, Christians and others, have been hit twice in the past year, first in July, in a bombing that wounded many but caused no reported deaths, then in August, when a bomb killed at least 18 people and wounded hundreds. The August attack was closely followed by two attacks on Sunni mosques in the northern city of Tripoli that killed dozens. | |
| Threats have multiplied against Hezbollah and its followers from supporters of the Syrian insurgency who are incensed that Hezbollah has sent fighters to support the Syrian government. | Threats have multiplied against Hezbollah and its followers from supporters of the Syrian insurgency who are incensed that Hezbollah has sent fighters to support the Syrian government. |
| While the Future bloc officially disavows the use of violence, some of its leaders have been involved in funneling arms to Syrian rebels, and some of its constituents have become radicalized, following hard-line Sunni clerics who have called for attacks on Hezbollah. And insurgents from Syria, including foreign jihadists as well as Syrians, have increasingly penetrated the porous border into Lebanon. In recent weeks some groups have said in interviews and video statements that they plan to escalate attacks on Hezbollah interests in Lebanon. | While the Future bloc officially disavows the use of violence, some of its leaders have been involved in funneling arms to Syrian rebels, and some of its constituents have become radicalized, following hard-line Sunni clerics who have called for attacks on Hezbollah. And insurgents from Syria, including foreign jihadists as well as Syrians, have increasingly penetrated the porous border into Lebanon. In recent weeks some groups have said in interviews and video statements that they plan to escalate attacks on Hezbollah interests in Lebanon. |
| In an interview last month, a rebel commander said that some insurgent groups had already arrived in Lebanon from Syria. “They want to attack all the regime’s allies in Lebanon,” the commander said, asking not to be identified by name for protection from reprisals. “Lebanon became their arena.” | In an interview last month, a rebel commander said that some insurgent groups had already arrived in Lebanon from Syria. “They want to attack all the regime’s allies in Lebanon,” the commander said, asking not to be identified by name for protection from reprisals. “Lebanon became their arena.” |
| In another recent interview, a Syrian anti-government activist reached in Aleppo, the embattled city in northern Syria, said that 125 fighters were preparing to leave the city to launch attacks in Hezbollah’s heartland in southern Lebanon, including some fighters from the two most radical rebel groups, the Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the even more extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The Aleppo activist, who said he was not involved with either group, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. | In another recent interview, a Syrian anti-government activist reached in Aleppo, the embattled city in northern Syria, said that 125 fighters were preparing to leave the city to launch attacks in Hezbollah’s heartland in southern Lebanon, including some fighters from the two most radical rebel groups, the Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and the even more extremist Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The Aleppo activist, who said he was not involved with either group, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. |
| Also last month, a group calling itself Mujahedeen of the Land of Sham, a reference to greater Syria, circulated a YouTube video showing masked youths undergoing military training. One fighter read a statement saying that the group planned to shell what it called “Hezbollah strongholds” in the towns of Nubol and Zahra, predominantly Shiite villages in Aleppo province. The video, which has since been removed by YouTube as a violation of its policy on violence, also said the group’s attacks on Hezbollah members would be aimed at “making their day night and their night day.” | Also last month, a group calling itself Mujahedeen of the Land of Sham, a reference to greater Syria, circulated a YouTube video showing masked youths undergoing military training. One fighter read a statement saying that the group planned to shell what it called “Hezbollah strongholds” in the towns of Nubol and Zahra, predominantly Shiite villages in Aleppo province. The video, which has since been removed by YouTube as a violation of its policy on violence, also said the group’s attacks on Hezbollah members would be aimed at “making their day night and their night day.” |
| Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has said in speeches that the group is fighting in Syria to thwart takfiris, a disparaging reference to Sunni extremists who brand their opponents as infidels. Mr. Nasrallah has called them a threat not just to Shiites but to the entire region. | Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has said in speeches that the group is fighting in Syria to thwart takfiris, a disparaging reference to Sunni extremists who brand their opponents as infidels. Mr. Nasrallah has called them a threat not just to Shiites but to the entire region. |
| The bombings are seen by supporters and critics of Hezbollah as targeting civilians to put pressure on Hezbollah over its Syria policy. But Hezbollah’s political base seems deeply committed, and its fighters exhibit a soldier-like discipline in going where ordered. Still, the bombings have led to new security measures in the southern suburbs and left the group’s supporters, as well as Shiites not affiliated with the party, feeling increasingly at risk. | The bombings are seen by supporters and critics of Hezbollah as targeting civilians to put pressure on Hezbollah over its Syria policy. But Hezbollah’s political base seems deeply committed, and its fighters exhibit a soldier-like discipline in going where ordered. Still, the bombings have led to new security measures in the southern suburbs and left the group’s supporters, as well as Shiites not affiliated with the party, feeling increasingly at risk. |
| Randa Slim, a Lebanese analyst at the Middle East Institute, has said that the recent string of attacks on Hezbollah interests and civilians in areas it controls has strengthened a view among some of Lebanon’s Shiites, that “the fight in Syria is making the party and the community vulnerable and less protected at a time when the community feels itself targeted by a number of domestic and regional enemies.” | Randa Slim, a Lebanese analyst at the Middle East Institute, has said that the recent string of attacks on Hezbollah interests and civilians in areas it controls has strengthened a view among some of Lebanon’s Shiites, that “the fight in Syria is making the party and the community vulnerable and less protected at a time when the community feels itself targeted by a number of domestic and regional enemies.” |
Mohammad Ghannam and Hwaida Saad contributed reporting. | Mohammad Ghannam and Hwaida Saad contributed reporting. |