At least two people have been killed after gunfire broke out during a funeral in a Sunni area of Beirut.

Shots targeted the funeral procession of a Sunni civilian killed in four days of street battles in Lebanon's capital that have left Hezbollah seizes large parts of Beirut ...
Gunmen shut down Lebanese TV station ...
Lebanon facing its worst political crisis since civil war ...
Saudi king to boycott summit ...
Bomber kills Iraqi tribal leader ...
Hezbollah chief threatens Israel ... at least 24 dead.

Earlier, Hezbollah militants had withdrawn from the streets of West Beirut after crushing resistance by pro-government gunmen.

It is Lebanon's worst internal violence since its bitter 15-year civil war.

The Western-backed Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, is due to address the nation at 1100 GMT - his first public response to Hezbollah's effective takeover of West Beirut.

Leaders of Lebanon's rival political factions are due to meet later on Saturday and the Arab League will hold talks about the crisis on Sunday.

Media closure

In the areas of Beirut worst affected by battles between Hezbollah and pro-government loyalists, barricades that had been set up were abandoned early on Saturday, says the BBC's Jim Muir, in the Lebanese capital.

But the TV station run by the Sunni leader Saad Hariri is still off the air after gunmen forced its closure on Friday, our correspondent adds.

Lebanon's cabinet said on Friday the seizure of most of western Beirut by the Shia group was "a bloody coup".

The governing coalition said it was aimed at increasing Iran's influence and restoring that of Syria.

The fighting was sparked by a government move on Monday to shut down Hezbollah's telecoms network.

The Lebanese army had not intervened to stop Hezbollah fighters from seizing large areas of western Beirut.

But troops were deployed to protect Saad Hariri and other leading figures who support the cabinet of Mr Siniora.

Civil war fears

"The armed and bloody coup which is being implemented aims to return Syria to Lebanon and extend Iran's reach to the Mediterranean," the Lebanese government said after an emergency session on Friday.

"Violence will not terrorise us, but it will increase our resolve," it said.

Lebanon was plunged into civil war from 1975-90, drawing in Syria and Israel, the two regional powers.

Analysts say the key to avoiding such a conflict this time may be the neutrality of the army, and its ability to withstand the sectarian tensions.

The latest violence amounts to a humiliating blow to the government, which appears to have badly overplayed its hand in moving to close Hezbollah's telecoms network on Tuesday, our correspondent says.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the move a "declaration of war".

Mr Hariri said it was a "misunderstanding" and urged gunmen from both sides to withdraw "to save Lebanon from hell".

An internal matter?

The fighting has spread and clashes in the north of the country near Tripoli have left at least three people dead on Saturday.

The urban warfare has shut down Lebanon's seaport and all but closed the international airport.

The country has been without a president since last November, amid deadlock between the ruling coalition and Hezbollah-led opposition over the make-up of the government.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Iran and Syria of inciting Hezbollah to take up arms against the authorities.

"We will stand by the Lebanese government and peaceful citizens of Lebanon through this crisis and provide the support they need to weather this storm," she said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose country long dominated Lebanon, said Lebanon's political crisis was an "internal matter".

Having withdrawn its army from the country in 2005, Syria denies meddling in Lebanon's internal politics.

But Damascus has been accused of involvement in the assassination over the past three years of several anti-Syrians, including former prime minister Rafik Hariri, the father of Saad Hariri.

Are you in Beirut? Have you been affected by the fighting? What is the situation in your area? Send us your comments using the form below:

(BBC)

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