BEIRUT (Reuters) – Two people were killed and at least three wounded in clashes in a town south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Thursday, the state news agency and a security source said, which prompted the deployment of the army as several political parties urged calm.
The Lebanese army said on its Twitter account that it had deployed units to Khaldeh town to “control the situation” and restore calm. Army units deployed to nearby towns to open blocked roads, it said.
State news agency NNA and the security source said gunfire was exchanged. The confrontation erupted after of row a few days ago over a poster marking the Shi’ite Muslim Ashoura religious ritual in an area where both Shi’ites and Sunnis reside, the security source and a second official said.
Several political parties voiced concern over the incident as it continued to unfold, reflecting fears it could escalate as the country faces multiple crises amid a political vacuum.
(Reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
