SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Lebanese Red Cross personnel are seen at the site of an explosion Friday afternoon in central Beirut. A huge car bomb exploded in a street during rush hour, killing at least eight people and wounding about 80, witnesses and officials said. (Photo: Reuters/ Sharif Karim.)
Beirut Bomb Kills 8, Injures Dozens
Renews Concerns About Sectarian Violence Amid Syrian War
Oct 19, 2012
At least eight people were killed Friday afternoon and dozens more injured when a large bomb exploded in Sassine Square, a mostly Christian neighborhood in Beirut.
It was unclear who the target of the blast was, according to Reuters. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
The explosion renewed concerns about sectarian conflict among Lebanon's Sunni, Shi'ite and Christian communities, as the war in neighboring Syria escalates, Al Jazeera's Rula Amin reported from the scene of the bombing.
In February, fighting broke out in the northern city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Friday's blast--likely triggered by a car bomb or device hidden in the street or beneath a vehicle-- was the worst in years, officials told The Independent.
An employee of a bank on the street told Reuters, "I think it was a car bomb. The whole car jumped five floors into the air."
Leaders of the anti-Damascus Christian Plalange Party and the Syrian government in Damascus condemned the attack.
Hospitals appealed for blood donations following the blast.
Also on Friday, Beirut-based Al Ahkbar reported that Lebanese Security Forces general Wissam al-Hassan, head of the controversial information branch, was one of two people killed in a separate roadside explosion in central Beirut.
According to Reuters, al-Hassan led the investigation that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the killing of former prime minister Rafik al-Haririd.
* * *
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
At least eight people were killed Friday afternoon and dozens more injured when a large bomb exploded in Sassine Square, a mostly Christian neighborhood in Beirut.
It was unclear who the target of the blast was, according to Reuters. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
The explosion renewed concerns about sectarian conflict among Lebanon's Sunni, Shi'ite and Christian communities, as the war in neighboring Syria escalates, Al Jazeera's Rula Amin reported from the scene of the bombing.
In February, fighting broke out in the northern city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Friday's blast--likely triggered by a car bomb or device hidden in the street or beneath a vehicle-- was the worst in years, officials told The Independent.
An employee of a bank on the street told Reuters, "I think it was a car bomb. The whole car jumped five floors into the air."
Leaders of the anti-Damascus Christian Plalange Party and the Syrian government in Damascus condemned the attack.
Hospitals appealed for blood donations following the blast.
Also on Friday, Beirut-based Al Ahkbar reported that Lebanese Security Forces general Wissam al-Hassan, head of the controversial information branch, was one of two people killed in a separate roadside explosion in central Beirut.
According to Reuters, al-Hassan led the investigation that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the killing of former prime minister Rafik al-Haririd.
* * *
At least eight people were killed Friday afternoon and dozens more injured when a large bomb exploded in Sassine Square, a mostly Christian neighborhood in Beirut.
It was unclear who the target of the blast was, according to Reuters. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
The explosion renewed concerns about sectarian conflict among Lebanon's Sunni, Shi'ite and Christian communities, as the war in neighboring Syria escalates, Al Jazeera's Rula Amin reported from the scene of the bombing.
In February, fighting broke out in the northern city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Friday's blast--likely triggered by a car bomb or device hidden in the street or beneath a vehicle-- was the worst in years, officials told The Independent.
An employee of a bank on the street told Reuters, "I think it was a car bomb. The whole car jumped five floors into the air."
Leaders of the anti-Damascus Christian Plalange Party and the Syrian government in Damascus condemned the attack.
Hospitals appealed for blood donations following the blast.
Also on Friday, Beirut-based Al Ahkbar reported that Lebanese Security Forces general Wissam al-Hassan, head of the controversial information branch, was one of two people killed in a separate roadside explosion in central Beirut.
According to Reuters, al-Hassan led the investigation that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the killing of former prime minister Rafik al-Haririd.
* * *
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.