Lebanese leaders began a session of national dialogue on Tuesday, hoping to mend the deep divisions that have recently pushed the country to the brink of civil war.

President Michel Suleiman headed the dialogue among leaders of the various political factions.

The conference comes after an interruption of 26 months which were marred by turmoil and factional clashes.

Beirut - One person was killed when heavy clashes erupted Monday between rival Palestinian factions in a refugee camp in southern Lebanon, Lebanese and Palestinian sources said.

They said the clashes were between members of the mainstream Fatah movement and members of a fundamentalist group called Jund al Sham, one of whose members was killed.

The militants exchanged machinegun fire and rocket-propelled grenades and people were seen fleeing the streets.

Beirut - Arab League Secretary general Amr Mussa arrived in beirut Monday to take part in national dialogue talks sponsored by President Michel Suleiman.

Mussa told reporters that the league's role "is to narrow the gap separating the various Lebanese factions."

The dialogue, scheduled for Tuesday at the Baabda Palace, was "an additional important step along the march to a lasting settlement in Lebanon," Mussa said.

"There are difficulties and tomorrow (Tuesday) is just the beginning of discussing all issues.."

Beirut - Six bombs exploded in a Sunni Muslim neighbourhood of Beirut on Monday, threatening to derail a dialogue called by Lebanese leaders to bring stability to the country.

No casualties were caused, but the bombs damaged shops and cars in heavily populated Corniche al-Mazraa, an area which saw fierce clashes between pro and anti-government groups in May.

The explosions, which took place a day before the start of a national dialogue at the Baabda presidential palace, "are aimed at terrifying people," said a police officer at the scene.

Beirut - Rival Lebanese leaders on Friday mourned pro-Syrian Druze official Sheikh Saleh al-Aridi, killed two days ago by a car bomb, by vowing to unite and secure the country's stability and peace.

"We will not allow the assassination of Sheikh Saleh al-Aridi to sow the seeds of discord among the Lebanese," said pro-Syrian Talal Arslan, the head of the Druze Democratic Liberal Party, to which Aridi belonged.

New Delhi, Sep 12 : Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju today met the Army contingent deployed in Lebanon on an UN peacekeeping mission.

The Indian contingent comprises of nearly nine hundred personnel deployed in the UN peacekeeping operations.

Raju reviewed the contribution and role of Indian troops in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). This is the first visit in more than five years by a Union Minister to any Indian peacekeeping mission abroad.