Renewed violence in Lebanon

Press, 31 January 1983, Page 6

Renewed violence in Lebanon

Beirut £ Palestinian, Syrian, Lebanese; , Leftist and French ’ troops were all attacked in a 'sudden upsurge of violence in during the weekend, . Artillery duels between -Christians and Muslims yesterday in the ’mountains above Beirut and .several shells or rockets fell "on the Christian eastern sector of the capital, security sources said. It was the first time east Beirut had been attacked sjnce the Israeli-Palestinian war last year. The sources said several

areas were hit, including the " district of Karantina where 2 Lebanon’s main Christian -Militia, the “Lebanese i forces,” has its headquarters. There were no immediate . reports of casualties. State radio reported that •shells had also hit outlying * Northern and southern 1 suburbs of Beirut. “ It was not clear exactly who was responsible for fir- £ ing at east Beirut. -. The biggest death toll dur;.ing the violence resulted - from a car bomb explosion, '2 in the eastern town of Shtoura, which flattened a

three-storey. block housing ■■'Palestinian guerrillas, Leftist

Lebanese militiamen, Syrian i soldiers, and civilian re-., fugees.

Rescuers used- .cranes to lift slabs of concrete as they Eicked through packed ruble from the blast on Saturday.

the death toll from different’ sources ranged from 12 to more than 30. .Guerrilla officers at the scene said it was impossible to be certain because casualties' had been scattered among several hos- \ pitals. ' ;■’■.'. i Before the Shtoura blast, a i bomb; damaged' a building i next to a Lebanese Leftist headquarters ,in Beirut but caused no casualties. A powerful bomb also ripped through West Beirut’s fashionable shopping thoroughfare of Hamra, injuring at least five people. The American University of Beirut Hospital said two Italian civilians were among the five injured. A French soldier serving with peace-keeping troops in i Beirut was wounded on Sat- : urday when a motor-cyclist ; threw a grenade at the truck i in which he was travelling. A group calling itself the | Front for the Liberation of ' Lebanon from Foreigners ■ said it was responsible for the bombs at Shtoura and at the Leftist target in Beirut. I