Clashes have erupted in several neighborhoods in Beirut between supporters of the Future movement and Amal/Hizbullah supporters. The clashes started on the Beirut Arab University campus and spread to the adjacent areas. Amal and Hizbullah supporters are descending on the Sports City area to "save" their colleagues, armed with sticks and rocks. LBC is airing images of them destroying parked cars in the area, and exchanging rocks with Future supporters.
The clashes have spread to the airport road-- now closed in one direction-- and to the tunnel leading to downtown Beirut. Several cars have been set on fire. Black smoke is rising from the cola/sports city area. The Lebanese army and ISF have intervened.
LBC is reporting 25 wounded so far. More soon.
Update. Here's a video of the clashes near the sports city. The Amal/Hizbullah supporters on the right, seen destroying rocks and hurling rocks.
Update 2. One person was killed so far and 30 injured, according to Naharnet. Gunshots are heard in the city, and several Lebanese army soldiers were shot, according to Aljazeera.
Update 3. Hizbullah, Amal and Future are calling on people to withdraw from the streets.
Update 4. The Lebanese army declared a curfew starting 8:30 pm and until 6am Friday. Hizbullah thugs are reportedly attacking buildings in the banking district in downtown Beirut.
Eyewitnesses told me that shortly after the clashes began at the Beirut Arab University, trucks arrived at the scene and unloaded young men armed with sticks and rocks.
The Lebanese army has been trying to escort citizens back to their homes but is being attacked by thugs coming from the southern suburb of Beirut. In one instance, an eyewitness said, a convoy of cars protected by Lebanese army vehicles was attacked near the airport tunnel by rocks and gunfire.
From Naharnet:
Security sources said the casualties included 17 wounded soldiers, four of whom are officers. They said at least 200 cars were smashed in the clashes pitting supporters of the Moustaqbal movement, headed by parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, against an alliance grouping Hizbullah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's Amal movement...
Police sappers also defused a rocket that was directed at the Moustaqbal newspaper in Beirut, shortly before it was set to launch. "Luckily they discovered it. It would have resulted in a massacre. The newspaper is packed by journalists at this time of the evening," Editor Nassir al-Assad told Naharnet by telephone.
Nasrallah has apparently issued a fatwa "instructing his followers to cooperate with the army and withdraw from the streets". He said he had information of snipers shooting at people from the rooftops of buildings.
Update 5. The Lebanese army has detained two snipers who were caught red handed. One is Syrian, and the other Palestinian.
