Massive Explosion Rocks Beirut Destroying Much Of The Port And Killing/Wounding Scores Of Civilians

Daily Mail: At least 10 dead as massive explosion rocks Beirut destroying buildings and 'leaving people covered in blood and broken glass'

* WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: The country's health minster said the blast has left many people injured
* It reportedly destroyed the house of former PM Saad Hariri, who has been confirmed safe by his party
* Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the port area shortly before an enormous fireball explodes
* Sources close to Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah denied theories the blast was an Israeli strike

A massive explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut has left at least 10 people dead and destroyed the home of the former prime minister.

The Future Movement Party confirmed that ex-PM Saad Hariri is safe, but the country's health minister said the blasts had caused a 'very high number of injuries' and huge damage.

Medical sources told Reuters that at least 10 people been killed by the explosion, which appeared to follow a fire - the cause of which is unknown - at the port.

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WNU Editor: The casualties must be in the hundreds if not more.

More News On Today's Massive Explosion In Beirut

Beirut explosion: dead and wounded among 'hundreds of casualties', says Lebanon Red Cross – live updates -- The Guardian
Live: Widespread damage after huge explosion in Beirut -- BBC
Huge explosion rocks Lebanon's capital Beirut: Live updates -- Al Jazeera
Lebanese capital rocked by huge explosion: Live Updates -- CNN
Huge explosion rocks Beirut with widespread damage, injuries -- AP
Two huge explosions rock Beirut, dozens of casualties -- AFP
Beirut blast: Explosion rocks city with many injured -- BBC
Massive blast in Beirut kills at least 10 people and injures hundreds -- Reuters
Lebanese Red cross chief says hundreds injured treated, many still trapped in area of blast -- Reuters
Hundreds injured after massive explosion rocks Beirut Port -- Jerusalem Post
Powerful explosion rocks Lebanon's capital Beirut, hundreds injured -- DW
Hundreds wounded as huge explosion rips through Lebanon's Beirut -- Al Jazeera
Both Israel AND Hezbollah deny devastating Lebanon blasts were a rocket attack -- RT
Massive blast in Beirut sends shockwaves across city -- Reuters
Beirut explosion – in pictures -- The Guardian

Hezbollah's Stronghold In Beirut Struck By Two Suicide Blasts. Scores Killed And Injured

New York Times: Deadly Blasts Hit Hezbollah Stronghold in Southern Beirut

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Two suicide bombers carried out a coordinated attack Thursday in a crowded area of southern Beirut controlled by the Hezbollah militia, and the Lebanese Red Cross said the blasts killed more than three dozen people and wounded nearly 200.

It was the worst bombing assault in years to traumatize Beirut, which has endured such attacks periodically. The assault shattered a relative calm that prevailed in recent months despite the Syrian civil war raging next door.

Hezbollah’s Al Manar news service and other Lebanese news media said the bombers struck during the evening rush hour, apparently to maximize casualties. There were unconfirmed reports that a third bomber had been foiled because his explosives belt only partly detonated.

WNU Editor: My gut is that this is blow-back from Hezbollah's military operations in Syria.

More News On Today's Suicide Attacks In The Hezbollah Section Of Beirut

Deadly suicide attack rocks southern Beirut -- Al Jazeera
Twin suicide blasts in Beirut’s Shiite suburb kill 37 -- AP
Death toll from Beirut's southern suburb explosion rises to 37: minister -- Reuters
Twin suicide blasts kill 37 in Beirut Hezbollah bastion -- AFP
Twin Explosions in Beirut -- The Atlantic
At least 37 dead in Beirut suicide bombings -- The Guardian
Over 30 killed, dozens wounded as twin suicide bombings rock Beirut -- RT

Two Suicide Car Bomb Attacks In Beirut Kill Six

Twin Suicide Car Bombs Strike Lebanon's Capital, Kill At Least Six -- L.A. Times

BEIRUT -- Twin suicide car bombs ripped through a residential district of the Lebanese capital Wednesday in the latest deadly attack believed tied to the war raging in neighboring Syria, according to official and witness accounts.

At least three people were killed and scores injured in the blasts, which may have targeted a nearby Iranian cultural center.

[Updated at 8:35 a.m. on Feb. 19: Lebanon's official news service later raised the death toll to at least six and said 129 people were injured, including four victims who remained in critical condition late Wednesday.

Lebanese politicians from a broad spectrum of political parties condemned the attacks, saying they were a deliberate effort to incite sectarian strife and undermine Lebanon's fragile democracy.]

The strikes -- the latest in an escalating series of bombings in Lebanon -- occurred during the morning rush hour near a busy traffic circle in the densely populated Bir Hassan neighborhood.

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More News On Today's Suicide Bombing Attack In Beirut

Bombs Strike Southern Beirut, Killing at Least Five -- New York Times
Suicide bombers target Iranian center in Beirut -- Reuters
Iranian cultural office targeted in Lebanon -- Al Jazeera
Two car-bomb blasts kill eight near Iranian Cultural Center in Beirut -- UPI
Sunni Militants Claim Beirut Blast -- Voice of America
'Twin suicide attack' in Beirut kills four -- BBC
Suicide bombings target Iran cultural centre in Beirut -- 7News/AFP
Suicide bombers in Beirut target Iranian cultural center -- Christian Science Monitor
Army releases photo of suspected suicide bomber -- Daily Star

Massive Bomb Explodes In The Hezbollah District Of Beirut

Car Bomb In Beirut Kills Five, Wounds 75

BEIRUT: Five people were killed and 75 others were wounded Thursday when a car bomb ripped through a neighborhood of the Beirut southern suburbs where Hezbollah enjoys broad support, security sources told The Daily Star.

The car bombing in Haret Hreik, a densely populated neighborhood of the southern suburb, is the latest security incident to hit increasingly volatile Lebanon. The attacks are linked to the ongoing crisis in Syria, particularly Hezbollah’s military support there to President Bashar Assad.

The 4.15 p.m. blast caused plumes of black smoke to blanket the Beirut skyline as ambulances and paramedics rushed to the neighborhood.

Parked vehicles and buildings in the commercial, residential area were severely damaged in the blast.

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More News On Today's Bomb Attack In Beirut

Blast in Hezbollah-run area of Beirut kills 5 -- AP
Car bomb kills four in Hezbollah district of Beirut -- Reuters
Deadly Blast Hits Hezbollah Neighborhood in Beirut -- New York Times
Car bomb kills four in Hezbollah Beirut bastion: minister -- AFP
Bombing in Hezbollah stronghold kills five -- The Australian
Several killed as car bomb hits crowded Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut -- Euronews
Report: 4 dead after car bomb explodes in Hezbollah neighborhood in Beirut -- CNN
Explosion in Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut kills 5, wounds 30 -- Haaretz
Deadly explosion hits Lebanese capital -- Al Jazeera

Top Al Qaeda Leader Caught In Lebanon

Majid is the leader of a group that claimed responsibility for the November 19 bombing in Beirut [Reuters]

Lebanon 'Holds' al-Qaeda Linked Group Leader -- Al Jazeera

Majid allegedly leads the group that claimed responsibility for the bombings that targeted Iran's embassy in Lebanon.

A Saudi man who allegedly leads a group linked to al-Qaeda which operates throughout the Middle East has been arrested by military authorities in Lebanon, according to US national security sources.

Two US sources said that media reports from Lebanon that Lebanese Armed Forces had recently captured Majid bin Muhammad al-Majid, leader of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades were credible.

The sources did not offer further details on the circumstances in which he was captured.

Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for the November 19 twin suicide bombings that targeted the Iranian embassy in Beirut. The explosions killed at least 23 people and left more than hundred injured.

Lebanese media reported on Tuesday that Majid had been arrested two days ago.

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More News On The Arrest Of Al Qaeda's Top Commander In Lebanon

Emir of Abdullah Azzam Brigades detained in Lebanon -- Long War Journal
Lebanese intelligence questioning Saudi militant, security source says -- Reuters
Lebanon arrests al Qaeda linked head operative -- Deutsche Welle
Lebanon Arrests Leader of Qaeda-Linked Group, Reports Say -- New York Times
Lebanon arrests head of Qaeda-linked group: minister -- AFP
Lebanon 'captures Iranian embassy bombing mastermind' -- The Guardian
Lebanese troops arrest militant leader in Iranian Embassy bombing -- UPI
Al-Qaeda-affiliated emir arrested in Lebanon -- Al-Monitor

Prominent Pro-Western Politician And Critic Of Hezbollah-Syrian Government Assassinated In Lebanon

Ex-Ambassador To US Killed In Lebanon Bomb Blast; Four Others Slain -- NBC

BEIRUT - The former Lebanese ambassador to the United States was killed early Friday by a bomb explosion close to the government headquarters in central Beirut that also killed at least four others.

Mohammad Chatah, who was a senior aide to former prime minister Saad Hariri, was attending a meeting of senior leaders of the March 14 political party. The party is staunchly opposed to the regime of Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria and critical of Shiite militia and political party Hezbollah inside of Lebanon.

The blast, which targeted Chatah's convoy, set cars on fire and sent black smoke billowing into the sky above the recently-reconstructed upscale business and zone of Beirut, close to the Intercontinental Phoenica Hotel.

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More News On Today's Bombing In Lebanon

Beirut blast kills Sunni ex-minister Mohamad Chatah -- BBC
Beirut Car Bomb Kills Ex-Minister Chatah -- Voice of America
Former Lebanese minister among 5 killed in Beirut blast -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
Lebanon Ex-Finance Minister Killed in Blast, NNA Says -- Bloomberg
Lebanon: Security Council and UN officials condemn deadly Beirut bombing -- UN News Centre
Lebanon’s ex-PM Hariri accuses Hezbollah of Beirut bomb attack -- France 24
Lebanon's Hariri points to Hezbollah over Beirut killing -- Reuters
Fingerpointing after Beirut car bombing -- Al Jazeera
Timeline of major security incidents in Lebanon since the start of the Syrian war -- Daily Star

Al Qaeda Claims Responsibility For Today's Bomb Attack On The Iranian Embassy In Beirut

Al Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Responsibility For Bomb Attack On Iranian Embassy That Killed 23 In Hezbollah Stronghold In Beirut -- Daily Mail

* Cultural attache Ebrahim Ansari killed after explosions hit Lebanese capital's upscale neighborhood of Janah
* Security camera footage shows man rushing towards outer wall of Iranian Embassy before blowing himself up
* Blasts damaged Iranian mission building and scattered debris across streets as people ran from burning cars
* Attacks have targeted Lebanon's Shiite strongholds recently in apparent retaliation for Hezbollah's role in Syria

An Al Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings that struck outside the Iranian Embassy in Beirut today, killing 23 people including an Iranian diplomat.

The obscure Abdullah Azzam Brigades said it carried out the mid-morning bombings in a Hezbollah stronghold - the latest strike in battles that have played out in the region for decades and now intensified with the civil war next door in Syria.

The authenticity of the claim could not be independently verified but it was posted on a militant website and on the Twitter account of Sirajuddin Zurayqat, a prominent Islamic militant leader.

The group said it will continue with such attacks until the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group withdraws its forces from Syria, where the group is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces against the mostly Sunni rebels seeking to topple him.

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More News On Today's Beirut Bombing Near The Iran Embassy

Suicide bombings kill 23 near Iran embassy in Beirut -- Reuters
Deadly suicide blasts rock Iran embassy in Beirut -- AFP
Double suicide bombings near Iran Embassy in Beirut kill 23, including Iranian diplomat -- Washington Post/AP
Two explosions in Lebanese capital. Al-Qaida-linked group claims responsibility for deadly Beirut attack -- Haaretz/AP/Reuters
Al-Qaeda Group in Lebanon Claims Responsibility for Iran Embassy Bombing -- Time
Blasts at Iranian Embassy in Beirut Kill at Least 23 -- New York Times
Bomb Blast at Iranian Embassy in Beirut Kills at Least 25 -- USA Today
Suicide Bombs Near Iranian Embassy in Beirut Leave 23 Dead -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Lebanon: Iran's embassy in Beirut hit by two explosions -- The Guardian
Bombers hit Iran's Beirut embassy amid fears of widening Syrian war -- Christian Science Monitor
Bomb Blasts Kill at Least 23 Near Iranian Embassy in Lebanon -- Voice of America
23 killed, 146 injured in explosions near Iranian Embassy in Beirut -- FOX News
Iran says Beirut suicide bombings “alarm for all of us” -- Daily Star

Is Lebanon On The Brink Of Civil War?

Civil Defense members and residents gather around a crater caused by one of the two explosions outside one of two mosques in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli, August 23. Twin explosions exploded Friday outside Sunni mosques in the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon killing at least 27 people and wounded hundreds. Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Tensions In Lebanon Skyrocket As Bombs Explode At Sunni Mosques -- Christian Science Monitor

Today's car bombs in Tripoli targeted mosques led by pro-Syrian rebel clerics.

Two powerful car bombs exploded Friday outside Sunni mosques in the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, killing at least 27 people and wounding 350.

The blasts, which came eight days after a similar car bomb attack against a Shiite-populated area of southern Beirut that left 30 dead, have strengthened fears among Lebanese that the country is sliding into Iraq-style sectarian conflict.

The first car bomb exploded outside the Taqwa mosque during a sermon by Sheikh Salem al-Rifai, a Salafist cleric known for his outspoken support for the Syrian rebels. The second bomb exploded five minutes later outside the Salam mosque where Sheikh Bilal Baroudi, another notable anti-Syrian regime Salafi cleric, was preaching. Television images showed cars on fire and thick clouds of black smoke rising above Tripoli’s skyline as bystanders helped ferry casualties away from the scene.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.

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Update #1: Hezbollah says Tripoli blasts 'attempt to foment civil war' -- YNet News
Update #2: This Lebanon Bombing Proves the Syrian Conflict is No Longer a Civil War -- Frank Lopapa, Policymic
Update #3: Lebanon slipping into abyss of civil war -- Gulf News editorial

My Comment: Everyone is looking at Hezbollah or Syrian government agents as being responsible for this attack. I expect the retaliatory attacks to happen very soon .... if not sooner.

Two Bomb Attacks Hit Sunni Mosques In Northern Lebanon Kill At Least 42

Explosions Kill 42 Outside Two Mosques In Lebanon's Tripoli -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Twin explosions hit two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday, killing at least 42 people and wounding hundreds, intensifying the sectarian strife that has spilled over from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

The apparently coordinated blasts - the biggest and deadliest in Tripoli since the end of Lebanon's own civil war - struck as locals were finishing Friday prayers in the largely Sunni Muslim city. Lebanese officials appealed for calm.

The explosions in Tripoli, 70 km (43 miles) from Beirut came a week after a huge car bomb killed at least 24 people in a part of the capital Beirut that is controlled by the Shi'ite Muslim militant movement Hezbollah.

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More News On Two Bomb Attacks Hitting Sunni Mosques In Northern Lebanon

Car bombs kill 42, wound 400 at n. Lebanon mosques -- Daily Star
VIDEO: Car bombs in north Lebanon -- Daily Star
Car bombs at Lebanon mosques kill 42, wound hundreds -- AFP
Lebanon bombings death toll rises to 42 -- CBC/AP
42 killed, more than 350 injured in twin explosions in Tripoli, Lebanon -- RT
Lebanese city of Tripoli rocked by deadly explosions -- BBC
Northern Lebanon Rocked by Bomb Attacks -- New York Times
Blasts Hit Sunni Mosques in Lebanon, Killing at Least 29 -- Bloomberg Businessweek
27 Killed in Lebanon Car Bombings -- Voice of America
Lebanon car bombs explode outside mosques -- CBS/AP

Massive Car Bomb Hits Hezbollah Beirut Stronghold

Over 50 Hurt As Car Bomb Hits Hezbollah Beirut Stronghold -- Reuters

(Reuters) - A massive car bomb ripped through a Beirut stronghold of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group that has been fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, wounding 53 people on Tuesday.

None of those hurt were seriously wounded, Health Minister Hassan Khalil told Reuters, and there were no fatalities.

Sectarian tensions in Lebanon have been high following the intervention of the Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah in support of Assad's forces fighting a two-year revolt led by Syria's Sunni Muslim majority.

There was no immediate indication of who was behind the blast, the worst such attack in years, which came as forces loyal to Assad are making gains on the battlefield and as Sunnis and Shi'ites clash in Lebanon.

But residents in the Shi'ite district blamed Sunni militant supporters of the insurgency against Assad, while politicians also suspected a sectarian motive.

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Update: Car bomb rocks Shia suburb in Beirut -- Al Jazeera

My Comment: This is a a blunt warning to Hezbollah. As to who is giving this "message", the video below gives some ideas on who may have funded this operation. As to who do I think is responsible .... my money is on those who are supporting the Syrian rebel movement.

Remebering A Middle East Spymaster

Requiem For A Middle East Spymaster -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

Three days before his murder, Gen. Wissam al-Hassantold me in a telephone interview from France that his contacts with the Syrian opposition put him “under a big light for Hezbollah” and made it “complicated for me to move” because he was a potential target.

The Lebanese intelligence chief’s comments have the haunting quality of words from the other side of the grave, following his death Oct. 19 in a car-bomb attack in Beirut. He knew he would be in danger back in Lebanon because he had challenged the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But he went home anyway because it was his duty, and also his passion.

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My Comment: One more sign on how Syria's civil war is now spilling across borders. Max Fisher has a must read post on why Gen. Wissam al-Hassantold was important, and why his death will impact the region.

Lebanon`s Intelligence Chief Killed In Beirut Bombing

Bomb Blast Kills At Least 8 Including Top Security Official -- New York Times

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A large bomb exploded in the heart of Beirut’s Christian section on Friday, killing a top Lebanese security official and at least seven others, wounding dozens and spreading panic in a city where memories of sectarian violence from Lebanon’s long civil war have been resurrected by the conflict in neighboring Syria.

The security official, Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, was apparently the intended target of the explosion, which ripped into buildings, upended cars and shattered windows for blocks in the most serious bombing to hit Beirut in at least four years. He was officially declared dead a few hours after the blast in an announcement on Lebanese television.

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More News On Today`s Bombing In Beirut

Security chief dies in Beirut blast - live updates -- The Guardian
Beirut blast kills at least 8, injures dozens, in deadliest attack in years -- Washington Post
Car bomb rocks Beirut: At least eight dead, 118 injured (VIDEO, PHOTOS) -- RT
Beirut car bomb kills 8, link seen to Syria war -- Reuters
Beirut bombing: Syrian conflict risks return to dark days -- The Telegraph
Beirut car bomb: Lebanese police intelligence chief reported dead -- The Telegraph
Senior Lebanese security official killed in Beirut blast-official -- Reuters
Lebanon blast: Car bombing in Beirut kills eight -- BBC
At Least 8 Killed in Beirut Car Bomb Blast -- Wall Street Journal
Lebanon: Beirut bomb is 'seen as warning of more to come' -- The Telegraph
On Twitter, Videos and Photos of the Aftermath of the Beirut Bombing -- The Lede/New York Times