Beirut  - The anti-Syrian Druze leader and Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) chief Walid Jumblat Monday called for calm at the funeral of one of his followers, who was stabbed to death by men believed to be from the opposition-led Hezbollah.

"We should be above all the wounds and exert restraint," Jumblatt told mourners during the funeral of Lutfi Zeineddine in Shabaniyeh, 40 kilometres east of Beirut.

Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the attack.

Zeineddine was stabbed Saturday in Beirut by unidentified assailants who are believed to belong to the Hezbollah-led opposition. The slaying occurred after he had attended a massive rally to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafik Hariri.

Jumblat played down the incident, stressing it was not politically motivated, and said that the Lebanese Army is the sole protector of all the Lebanese people.

"Only the government, the Army, the police and justice can protect," Jumblat said.

He said that the Army had already arrested the suspected killers but did not reveal their names.

After Zeineddine's slaying, vengeful Jumblatt followers on Sunday blocked a major highway linking Beirut with the eastern Bekaa Valley and attacked cars driven by Shiite Muslims, who are mainly followers of Hezbollah. Zeineddine died earlier Sunday from knife wounds suffered in Saturday's attack.

During a massive rally late Monday in Beirut's southern suburbs to commemorate the first anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughaniyeh, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah offered his condolences to the PSP and Zeineddine's family.

Nasrallah described Zeineddine as a martyr and said: "Violence is denounced by all of us."

Mughaniyeh was killed in a bomb blast on February 13, 2008, in Damascus. (dpa)