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| Blast rocks Beirut eastern suburb | Blast rocks Beirut eastern suburb |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| At least four people have been killed in a powerful car bombing in an eastern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. | At least four people have been killed in a powerful car bombing in an eastern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. |
| A senior member of the police intelligence unit and another officer were among the dead, police say. | A senior member of the police intelligence unit and another officer were among the dead, police say. |
| Lebanese TV footage of Hazmieh, a mainly Christian suburb in eastern Beirut, showed a blackened crater and many tangled and burning cars. | Lebanese TV footage of Hazmieh, a mainly Christian suburb in eastern Beirut, showed a blackened crater and many tangled and burning cars. |
| Beirut has witnessed a string of bomb attacks since 2004, many targeting members of the anti-Syrian movement. | Beirut has witnessed a string of bomb attacks since 2004, many targeting members of the anti-Syrian movement. |
| The dead police official, Wissam Eid, was a technical expert in the Internal Security Forces who had been investigating the past bombings, local media said. | The dead police official, Wissam Eid, was a technical expert in the Internal Security Forces who had been investigating the past bombings, local media said. |
| Main route | Main route |
| TV pictures showed what appeared to be the aftermath of a large blast causing damage over a considerable area at a junction in east Beirut. | TV pictures showed what appeared to be the aftermath of a large blast causing damage over a considerable area at a junction in east Beirut. |
| In pictures: Bombing scene | In pictures: Bombing scene |
| Emergency workers were filmed putting out fierce fires in vehicles at junction near one of the main highways through the capital. | Emergency workers were filmed putting out fierce fires in vehicles at junction near one of the main highways through the capital. |
| The blast comes at a time of political crisis in Lebanon between rival pro-Syrian and pro-Western parties which has prevented the election of a president for more than two months. | |
| Lebanon's western-backed government says the bombings are a message from Syria, although Damascus denies it and condemns the killing. | Lebanon's western-backed government says the bombings are a message from Syria, although Damascus denies it and condemns the killing. |
| The country has also been rocked by an uprising by Islamist militants in the north and attacks on UN peacekeepers in the south. | The country has also been rocked by an uprising by Islamist militants in the north and attacks on UN peacekeepers in the south. |
| Ten days ago, a car bomb damaged a US diplomatic car in eastern Beirut, killing at least three bystanders, and last month the army's chief of operations was assassinated by similar means. | Ten days ago, a car bomb damaged a US diplomatic car in eastern Beirut, killing at least three bystanders, and last month the army's chief of operations was assassinated by similar means. |