Four killed in sectarian clashes in Beirut

January 25, 2007

Fights between students in Beirut Arab University esacalated into clashes across the city on January 25, between groups supporting and opposing the Lebanese government. Four people were killed while and over a hundred and fifty were injured in the fighting, as youths armed with makeshift weapons clashed, threw rocks and damaged vehicles. The Lebanese army deployed armored vehicles and fired shots in the air to disperse the fighters. An overnight curfew was imposed to stop the fighting.

Scuffles broke out between Sunni and Shiite students, who were respectively support and oppose of the current government, in the university's cafeteria and soon attracted local supporters of both groups.

Coming on the heels of mass demonstrations and a general strike called by Hezbollah calling on the Fouad Siniora-led government to step down, the clashes has raised fears of renewed civil conflict along sectarian lines in Lebanon.