Violence spreads across Lebanon

Hezbollah gunmen have battled supporters of the Lebanese government on a fifth day.

The Islamist group seized much of west Beirut on Friday then pulled back to let the army take control of the capital after the military agreed to a string of concessions.

But on Sunday fierce fighting flared in Aley, a town in the mountains overlooking the capital, and nearby villages, killing at least eight people.

Hezbollah and its allies took control of several villages in the Aley area as rival groups from the country's Druze minority got sucked into the fighting on both sides.

The clashes brought the death toll in five days of violence across Lebanon to 53, with at least 150 wounded.

Arab League foreign ministers agreed at an emergency meeting in Cairo to send a mission to Beirut led by the Prime Minister of Qatar to help mediate an end to the crisis.

Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, routed pro-government gunmen in Beirut in Lebanon's worst violence since the 1975-1990 civil war.

Trouble flared after the government decided to try to move against a military communications network operated by Hezbollah and sack the head of security at Beirut airport, who is close to the group.

The group called the move a declaration of war and took up arms, before agreeing to withdraw when army chiefs overturned the government decisions.

Hezbollah now says it will maintain a campaign of civil disobedience until it gets official recognition that it can keep its weapons for use against Israel.

It is also demanding veto power in any new government and wants army chief General Michel Suleiman to become president of Lebanon - a move also backed by the beleaguered government.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.

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