Beirut civilians wounded as gunshots follow Nasrallah speech

Beirut civilians wounded as gunshots follow Nasrallah speechBeirut - Gunfire erupted, wounding at least sixteen people as Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah finished delivering a speech Monday in Beirut's southern suburbs to commemorate the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The gunshot-related injuries occurred in areas inside the capital when Nasarllah's followers started celebrating the occasion by firing gunshots into the air.

Several civilians who were in their cars or on balconies at the time were wounded by stray bullets.

Beirut MP Ammar Khoury pleaded with newly-elected president Michel Suleiman to rescue civilians in the capital from such attacks by Nasrallah's partisans.

According to police reports a clash between the majority and the opposition led-Hezbollah erupted after the shooting started in the area of Kornich al Mazraa, prompting the army to intervene to stop the clash from spreading.

The capital was pitted with fierce clashes on May 7 when Hezbollah militants and Sunni followers of the ruling majority fought street battles for six-days killing 82 people.

The clashes led Hezbollah and its allies to seize large parts of the capital. Life returned to normal after Lebanese rivals brokered a deal in Doha the capital of Qatar to end the political crisis in the country.

On Sunday, the parliament managed after 19 attempts to meet and elect army commander Michel Suleiman as president, after the post was vacant for six months when pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud ended his term in November.

It is becoming a habit when Nasrallah delivers a speech for followers of the Hezbollah-led opposition to celebrate his appearance by firing in the air.

In return, some of the followers of the majority started doing the same when their leader Saad hariri delivered a statement.

Nasrallah delivered a speech through a large television screen to commemorate the 8th anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000. (dpa)

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