Hezbollah, Amal Militiamen Defy Call for Beirut Cease-Fire; Death Toll at 44
BEIRUT — Militiamen from rival Shia Muslim factions of Hezbollah and Amal, defying calls to halt six days of violence, fought Sunday from deserted houses and rooftops in the southern suburbs with mortars and rockets, police said.
Police increased the casualty toll in the fighting that erupted last Tuesday, counting 44 people killed and 93 others wounded.
The battles broke out in the mainly Shia southern suburbs of Beirut before spreading to West Beirut on Friday. Syrian troops intervened and imposed a cease-fire late Saturday.
Amal and Hezbollah have defied several Syrian calls to stop the shooting.
Gunmen battled throughout the night with mortars, recoilless vehicle-mounted cannons and shoulder-fired rockets, hitting a number of apartment houses and cars, police said.
The fighting eased into occasional sniper fire at dawn, the sources said. Police said at least 14 people were killed and 23 others injured between Saturday and Sunday evening.
The most serious firefight was reported between Amal and Hezbollah elements near the Iranian Embassy at the southern entrance of the city.
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