New victim dies after clashes between Lebanese police and builders

Oct 8, 2006, 18:04 GMT

Beirut - Tension continued Sunday between Lebanese Police and people doing illegal building work near Beirut airport after a second victim died from injuries sustained in an exchange of fire two days ago.

Four people were wounded Friday after police moved to stop the illegal construction of private properties in a predominantly Shiite area near the airport. Clashes broke out with local residents.

Eleven-year-old Mohammed Naji died two days after being shot during a clash with police.

According to hospital sources Naji died after sustaining a serious head injury.

A police source confirmed the death and said the bullet which hat Naji in the head 'is a bullet not used in weapons used by the Lebanese police,' adding, medical reports said ' the victim was shot at close range and from the back.'

The source hinted that the boy was hit from bullets fired at the police by unidentified gunmen at the scene.

Meanwhile, police sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that a rocket propelled grenade was fired earlier on Sunday at al Hilou police barracks in Beirut causing some material damage, but no injuries among police ranks.

On Saturday, a 16-year-old boy also died from injuries he sustained in Friday's clashes.

According to a police statement issued on Saturday, 11 policemen sustained injuries during the exchange of fire when the police cracked down.

The construction included extensions and additional floors built in breach of building regulations.

A Lebanese officer at the scene said Friday: 'A group of people gathered and tried to block the roads, started to throw stones and then fired at the police forces.'

'The force then returned fire,' the officer said. According to local residents, four civilians were wounded in the incident.

Residents had been angered by the crackdown which started two days ago. Around 11 cement mixers and several trucks were confiscated and several people have been arrested.

The mainly Shiite local population are loyal to the militant Hezbollah movement or to the Shiite group called Amal.

Hezbollah and Amal, the two main Shiite parties, have demanded that an investigation be opened into the use of weapons by police and stressed that they do not want to cover up illegal construction.