Beirut bomb blast
Among those killed was the intelligence chief of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, General Wissam al-Hassan, an official said, in one of the most high-profile assassinations since the 2005 murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri. – Photo by AP
Lebanese soldiers inspect damaged buildings at the scene of an explosion in the mostly Christian neighborhood of Achrafiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon. – Photo by AP
Lebanese Red Cross and security officials say a car bomb in east Beirut has killed at least eight people and wounded dozens in the worst blast the city has seen in years, coming at a time when Lebanon has seen a rise in tension and eruptions of clashes stemming from the civil war in neighboring Syria. – Photo by AP
The blast ripped through a busy square as pupils were leaving schools and bank employees headed home. – Photo by AP
The force of the explosion gutted two apartment blocks, tearing off balconies and shattering windows. Falling masonry crushed cars parked below. – Photo by AFP
The attack has touched off painful memories of Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war and the political unrest that has troubled the post-war years, much of it linked to Syrian influence in the country. AP
Two Lebanese political leaders have already blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the attack, which has drawn international condemnation. – Photo by AP
