BEIRUT
Former prime minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday reiterated calls for Shiite militant group Hezbollah to withdraw its fighters from Syria, warning that Lebanon could be dragged into the ongoing conflict next door.
Hariri's call came hours after twin bombings hit a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, leaving five people dead and dozens injured.
In a statement, Hariri denounced the attack and called for Lebanese unity in the face of "terrorism and devious attempts to sow sedition and undermine efforts to achieve stability."
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar, however, stressed that his group had no intention to withdraw its fighters from war-ravaged Syria, where they continue to fight alongside Syrian regime troops.
"Fighting [in Syria] is a strategic necessity – not only to thwart plans to fragment the region, but also to foil attempts to sow sedition" in Lebanon, said Ammar.
Military involvement by Hezbollah in the Syrian regime's ongoing conflict with armed opposition groups has drawn condemnation from Hezbollah's opponents in Lebanon.
Wednesday's twin blasts – the latest in a string of attacks in Beirut's southern suburbs – were immediately claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which said they had come in retaliation for Hezbollah's continued involvement in Syria.
By Paula Astih
englishnews@aa.com.tr
