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Deadly blast in southern Lebanon | Deadly blast in southern Lebanon |
(41 minutes later) | |
A bomb blast near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon has seriously wounded a senior intelligence officer and killed four of his aides and bodyguards. | |
Officials said Samir Shehadeh's was hit by a remote-controlled bomb as he drove past the village of Rmeileh. | Officials said Samir Shehadeh's was hit by a remote-controlled bomb as he drove past the village of Rmeileh. |
Col Shehadeh was an investigator into the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in early 2005. | |
The incident comes amid a fragile truce after 34 days' bitter fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. | The incident comes amid a fragile truce after 34 days' bitter fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. |
Both vehicles of Col Shehadeh's two-car convoy were riddled with shrapnel. Police sealed off the area and began collecting evidence. | |
Government officials said Col Shehadeh was taken to hospital in Sidon and his condition was stable. | |
Decoy operation | |
Lebanon's acting information minister told Lebanese TV that one of the bodyguards who were killed had been acting as decoy for Col Shehadeh in the lead car. | |
"It is obvious from the decoy operation that saved him that that there were expectations (of an attack)," Ahmed Fatfat told Future TV. | |
The bombing comes two weeks before the UN chief investigator is to submit a report on his latest findings in the Hariri investigation to the UN. | |
The Lebanese government is expected in the next few weeks to authorise an international tribunal to bring those responsible to justice. | |
Col Shehadeh is reported to have been involved in the arrest four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals last August in connection with the investigation. | |
Earlier UN investigator's reports have also implicated top Syrian officials in the Hariri killing, although Damascus has denied any role in it or the string of bombings targeting anti-Syrian figures which followed the 14 February 2005 assassination. | |
Mr Hariri's death galvanised Lebanese opposition to Syria, which subsequently bowed to pressure to pull its troops out of Lebanon after nearly 30 years of military presence. | Mr Hariri's death galvanised Lebanese opposition to Syria, which subsequently bowed to pressure to pull its troops out of Lebanon after nearly 30 years of military presence. |