Lebanon blasts near Iran's embassy in Beirut

[Yzd Khalifa]

Lebanon blasts near Iran's embassy in Beirut

Images from Hezbollah's al-Manar TV channel showed the aftermath of the blast

Seven people are reported to have been killed in explosions near the Iranian embassy in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Iran is a major backer of the Lebanaese Shia militant group Hezbollah, which has sent fighters to Syria to back the government of Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian conflict has increased sectarian tensions in Lebanon.

South Beirut, including the area around the Iranian embassy, is considered a Hezbollah stronghold. It has been hit with several attacks in recent months.

The main gate to the embassy was blown out and there was damage to the three-storey building, the Associated Press reported.

AP and the Hezbollah TV channel al-Manar quoted sources saying that the first blast was caused by a suicide bomber, while the second was a car bomb, which did much more damage.

However, this has not been officially confirmed.

On 15 August, 16 people were killed in a blast in south Beirut believed to be linked to the spillover into Lebanon from the Syrian conflict.

Hezbollah fighters were instrumental in a strategic victory by Syrian government forces in Qusair, close to the border with Lebanon, in early June.

 

[Syrian Lion]

coward terrorists... they are losing badly in Syria, all they can do now is suicide bombing...

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

coward terrorists... they are losing badly in Syria, all they can do now is suicide bombing...

I'm seeing you and them driving them all now

 

[Syrian Lion]

initial reports stating that most of the casualties are civilian, including a woman..

 

[Shak]

cant imagine future of middle east. will it go same way in future?

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

cant imagine future of middle east. will it go same way in future?

Probably yes. Now we are moving to the next level which is bloodier if it happens - Iran vs Israel -

 

[Serpentine]

None of Iranian staff were killed, only one injured.Takfiri terrorists once again target innocent women and children, because their religion tells them it will take them to heaven.

 

[500]

coward terrorists... they are losing badly in Syria, all they can do now is suicide bombing...

Says person whos regime is the main sponsor of suicide terrorism.

 

[ResurgentIran]

Could also be an Israeli operation. Nuclear negotiations may come to a conclusion (which is absolutely detrimental to Israel's strategic interests), and maybe Israelis are trying to start something.Bait Iran to take action and get a conflict going, to derail any settlement or rapprochement.

You can not underestimate how desperate they are.

 

[Shak]

Probably yes. Now we are moving to the next level which is bloodier if it happens - Iran vs Israel -

i hope that will not happen for sake of humanity....

 

[Serpentine]

Looks like they got a member of the terrorist state of Iran.

He was an ordinary embassy staff, may he rest in peace.
How do you feel when I say Taliban and Alqaeda have killed many British terrorist soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan? At least that's closer to truth compared to killing a member of a foreign embassy.

 

[Serpentine]

Most British soldiers killed in Iraq, were killed by Shia death squads armed and directed by the most prolific terrorist state on earth - Iran.

It was Iranian road side bombs that killed British soldiers and we'll never forget your terrorism.

Good to hear it, at least we paid only a little portion of British misadventures and interferences in our country. If actions of my country are considered terrorism, then actions of Britain in ME, India and Africa is beyond the definition of terrorism, making millions of people suffer and die.
Only the fact that you are happy for death of an embassy staff, greatly portrays the spirit of terrorism.

and btw, killing an armed soldier that is occupying a country is NOT considered terrorism which means killing civilians for political purposes. They were killed in 'state of war'.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Update

#24 people are dead as of right now.

#The Iranian Head of the Cultural Mission has been critically injuried.

 

[ejaz007]

Explosions target Iran embassy in Beirut

At least 23, including Iranian diplomat, killed in blasts near Iran's embassy in southern Beirut.

Two explosions targeting the Iranian embassy have hit the Lebanese capital Beirut, security sources said, killing up to 23 people, injuring at least 146 and damaging buildings in the embassy compound.

Lebanese sources told Al Jazeera that the Iranian ambassador is safe, but the cultural attache of the embassy, Ebrahim Ansari, has been confirmed dead. It is unclear where he was when he was killed, as Iranian sources have said that all other embassy staff are safe.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blasts. Reuters news agency reported a security source saying the blasts were caused by two rockets fired on the area, in the southern part of the city, and a second security source saying there was a car bomb explosion.

An armed guard of the Iranian embassy reportedly told AP news agency that the first blast was believed to have been carried out by a suicide attacker who rode a motorcycle and blew himself outside the gate. The other explosion, that caused much more damage, was a car bomb, the guard said.

"The sheer scale of the destruction is an indication as to how powerful the explosives were," reported Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr from near the site, "with over five buildings damaged by the blasts."

Live footage from local news channels showed charred bodies on the ground as flames rose from the remains of several vehicles. Aid workers and residents carried away some of the victims on blankets.

"People are roaming the streets looking for loved ones," said Khodr. "The scene is chaotic, and reports here on the ground have the number of casualties rising."

Lebanon has seen several explosions and street clashes in Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli linked to the two-and-a-half-year conflict in neighbouring Syria.

There was no word on who was behind the blasts, but Syrian rebels have threatened to target President Bashar al-Assad's allies in neighbouring Lebanon.

Iran has been bank-rolling Assad's fight against the mainly Sunni rebels and has given military support. It also supports Hezbollah in Lebanon.

But Al Jazeera's Soraya Lennie, reporting from Tehran, said that "the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon, who escaped from the attack uninjured, is blaming Israel for the attack".

Southern Beirut is known as a Hezbollah stronghold and has been rocked with at least three other explosions this year.

Those attacks were blamed on groups linked to the rebels, believed to be in retaliation for its involvement in Syria's civil war.

Hezbollah fighters have been supporting Assad's forces in several strategic battles across Syria, a move that has also increased sectarian tension in the two countries.

Explosions target Iran embassy in Beirut - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

 

[Hussein]

i hope that will not happen for sake of humanity....

it is very probably not Israel . Israel is not using such bombings. 

Good to hear it, at least we paid only a little portion of British misadventures and interferences in our country. If actions of my country are considered terrorism, then actions of Britain in ME, India and Africa is beyond the definition of terrorism, making millions of people suffer and die.
Only the fact that you are happy for death of an embassy staff, greatly portrays the spirit of terrorism.

and btw, killing an armed soldier that is occupying a country is NOT considered terrorism which means killing civilians for political purposes. They were killed in 'state of war'.

don't mind , he is probably a salafi in UK...