Israel Matzav

Here we go again....

A twin suicide bombing hit the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Wednesday during the morning rush hour, killing at least four people and wounding 70 in an attack targeting Iran's cultural center, security sources said.

Security sources said the blasts were caused by two suicide attackers, one in a car and the second on a motorcycle. The same tactics were used by suicide bombers who attacked the Iranian embassy in November.

A militant group linked to al-Qaida, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attacks on Twitter, saying the Iranian culture center was the target.

The windows of a nearby orphanage were blown out by the blasts. Children were peering out and screaming "bomb, bomb." Some were crying. A man working at a sweet shop opposite the bomb site said the blast shook the entire area.

"We heard one explosion and then another," he said.

Human remains were found nearby. The casualties included a number of children.

The area is controlled by the Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces in neighboring Syria in a conflict that has fueled tensions between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims in Lebanon.

Labels: Beirut, Hezbullah, suicide bombing, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:43 PM