BEIRUT: A powerful car bomb tore through a bustling south Beirut neighborhood on Thursday, killing at least 22 and trapping dozens of others in an inferno of burning cars and buildings in the bloodiest attack yet on Lebanese civilians apparently linked to war in neighbouring Syria.
The blast is the second in just over a month to hit one of the Hezbollah group’s bastions of support, and the deadliest in decades.
Thursday’s explosion ripped through a crowded area tightly controlled by Hezbollah, turning streets lined with vegetable markets, bakeries and shops into scenes of destruction.
Dozens of ambulances rushed to the site of the explosion and firefighters used cranes and ladders to try to evacuate terrified residents from burning buildings. Some fled to the rooftops of buildings and civil defense workers struggled to bring them down to safety several hours after the explosion.
The blast appeared to be an attempt to sow fear among the group’s civilian supporters and did not target any known Hezbollah facility or figure.
It came despite rigorous security measure taken in the past few weeks by Hezbollah around its strongholds, setting up checkpoints, searching cars and sometimes using sniffer dogs to search for bombs. It also came a day before Hezbollah’s leader was scheduled to give a major speech marking the end of the month-long 2006 war with Israel.
Iman Jabak, 43 ,and her two daughters Rawane Charara and Reine Charara were out shopping for clothes for their little brother when the blast occurred.
Were used to it, Reine, 18, told Beiruts The Daily Star newspaper. They promised us more and were ready, she added in reference to Hezbollahs foes.
A previously unheard-of group calling itself Aisha the Mother of Believers Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack in a video posted on YouTube, saying it is the second “message” they sent since last month’s blast in the area. The authenticity of the claim could not be independently verified.
“Our second message was strong and astounding,” said a masked man who read the statement, flanked by two other armed and masked men.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar called the blast a “terrorist” attack and called for restraint among the group’s supporters. He suggested the group’s political rivals in Lebanon were responsible for creating an atmosphere that encourages such attacks.
Political and religious figures of various stripes condemned the bombing, with many hinting or directly accusing Israel of being behind the attack.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah claimed Wednesday his fighters had been responsible for last weeks wounding of several Israeli soldiers who crossed the border into Lebanon. The Hezbollah chief said explosives remotely detonated by his fighters had led to the Israeli casualties.
He vowed his group would not hesitate to take similar actions in the future.
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