Beirut  - The party of the US charge d'affaires was attacked with stones Wednesday by Hezbollah supporters during a visit to southern Lebanon, a Lebanese security source said.

"Some 200 people, including women and children, surrounded the house of Abdullah Bitar, who is opposed to Hezbollah, as he met in Nabatiyeh with charge d'affaires Michele Sison and they began throwing stones," a Lebanese security source said.

"Death to America, death to Israel - we don't want you in southern Lebanon", the crowd chanted as the Lebanese police rushed to the area where Sison was having lunch.

The source said Sison's car was hit by several stones as she was being evacuated from the area, but she emerged unharmed.

A US embassy statement made no mention of the incident. US President George W. Bush earlier this month selected Sison as ambassador to Lebanon. The nomination still requires Senate approval.

On a visit to BeirutMonday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Washington still considers Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, despite the militant group taking part in Lebanon's new government of national unity. (dpa)