By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East 

BEIRUT, Lebanon-A suspected car bomb has caused a massive explosion at a Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.  The explosion occurred in the Haret Hrek district during rush hour.

Images of the explosion appeared on Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV show depicting firefighters putting out multiple cars on fire.  The footage also showed one building with its façade blown off and also damage to several other neighboring buildings.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reported that at least five people were killed and as many as twenty wounded from the blast.

“Suddenly, the whole area went bright and we started running away.  I saw two bodies on the street, one of a woman and another of a man on a motorcycle was totally deformed,” reported Ali Oliek, an accountant who works in a nearby office.

Authorities brought in bomb sniffing dogs, and at one point announced that there was the possibility of another bomb in the vicinity, sending crowd members into frenzy.  Hezbollah security agents and Lebanese troop worked together to block off the area to keep out the angry crowds surrounding the blast sight.

“There are a large number of people trying to get to the explosion site but security forces are trying to keep people away.  They fear there might be another bomb, another attack,” reported Rula Amin, an Aljazeera reported located in Beirut.

“This is the heart of the Hezbollah stronghold and it’s considered a safe zone but not anymore.  It seems like the bomb is not big but this area is very crowded and there are a lot of people on the streets at this time of the day.  Security in that area is usually very tight, so to be able to put that car bomb there is a major violation,” continued Amin

This attack is one of several that have occurred in Beirut over the last few months, including one last week.  In November, twenty five people were killed by a suicide bombing at the Iranian embassy in southern Beirut.  Explosions have also occurred in other nearby Hezbollah districts in Sunni Mosques in the northern city of Tripoli.

“This is a big battle against terrorism, it targets everyone.  It doesn’t matter where they are from.  The perpetrators are trying to incite violence among the Lebanese people,” stated Ali Hassan Khalil, the Lebanese health minister.

Tensions between sectarian groups in Lebanon have increased due to the civil war in neighboring Syria.

For more information, please see the following: 

Al Jazeera-Deadly explosion hits Lebanese capital-2 January 2014

Deutsche Welle-Deadly explosion hits Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut-2 January 2014

Sky News-Deadly Blast Rocks Lebanese Capital Beirut-2 January 2014

USA Today-Deadly blast hits south Beirut neighborhood-2 January 2014