En kraftig bombe forårsaket store materielle ødeleggelser i en kristen bydel nord for Beirut torsdag. Det er den fjerde siden Fatah al-Islam gikk til opprør. Mange tror Syria står bak.

Det har sammenheng med en trussel president Bashar al-Assad uttalte under et møte med FNs nye generalsekretær Ban ki-Moon. Assad sa han ville sette Midtøsten i fyr fra Kaukasus til Middelhavet hvis Hariri-tribunalet ble noe av. Mange i Libanon tror han nå gjør alvor av truslene.

Security officials said the blast occurred in an industrial area in Zouk Mousbeh, about 12 miles from Beirut and near the Christian town of Jounieh. There was no immediate word on casualties. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The explosion set off large fires in several buildings, and black smoke billowed from the area.

Ambulances and fire engines raced to the scene, where mangled remains of cars destroyed in the blast lay overturned on the street.

Four explosions in Beirut and nearby areas have killed one person and wounded 40 others since the clashes between
Fatah Islam militants and Lebanese army troops started May 20 in the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp near the northern port of Tripoli.

Blast in Christian area north of Beirut