Beirut
bombing: Twin attacks target Iranian embassy, 23 killed, 146 injured
Two
blasts near the Iranian embassy in Beirut killed at least 23 people,
injuring 146 and causing havoc and a massive fire in the Lebanese
capital. Six buildings were reportedly destroyed in the embassy
compound.
19
November, 2013
The
harrowing scene was primarily caused by 100lb (50kg) of explosives
loaded into a car, according to AP. Security sources on the ground
said there were two blasts - the first caused by a person on a
motorbike carrying some 4.4lbs (2kg) of explosive, while the second
was by a suicide bomber who tried to ram the compound with the car.
However,
there are conflicting reports as to how the initial blast unfolded.
Eyewitnesses claimed that a man was mounted on a motorbike, while a
Lebanese official told Reuters that the man wearing an explosives
belt was seen rushing towards the embassy’s outer wall before
blowing himself up.
Witnesses
at the scene reported that the explosions occurred within one or two
minutes of each other.
Injured
people and destroyed buildings were seen on very disturbing pictures
circulated by Lebanese media in the immediate aftermath.
A
soldier (in green, 2nd L) and policeman gesture at the site of the
explosions near the Iranian embassy in Beirut November 19,
2013.(Reuters / Mahmoud Kheir)
Witnesses
speaking to Al Arabiya reported seeing smoke rising from the battered
embassy compound, while footage from the bloody scene showed raging
fires, with the death toll rising by the minute.
It
is not clear who was behind the attack at this time, but the area
where the blasts occurred is significant in two ways: it is
considered to be a stronghold for the Lebanese Shiite faction,
Hezbollah. And secondly, it is a popular area and a home to many
families of Iranian diplomats working in Lebanon.
Army
soldiers, security police officers and civilians gather around a body
at the site of explosions near the Iranian embassy in Beirut November
19, 2013.(Reuters / Mahmoud Kheir)
The
Iranian ambassador to Lebanon reacted promptly to the situation,
saying that it was beyond any doubt that the embassy was the target
of the attack and placing blame on a "Zionist entity." He
added that such attacks only "keep us strong and proves the
righteousness of our stances." Minutes before it was reported
that the Iranian cultural adviser for Lebanon was wounded in the
blast, but shortly thereafter succumbed to his injuries.
Later
in the day Al-Manar found out that the Yemeni ambassador was lightly
injured in the blasts.
Iran's
foreign ministry subsequently added that the blast was the work of
Israeli mercenaries. Syrian information minister Omran Zoabi to
Al-Manar has come out with a similar opinion, saying that Israeli and
Saudi intelligence are behind the explosions. Later in the afternoon
Reuters reported that Al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam brigades have
claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombing.
Lebanon
and Iran enjoy close relations, both having a large Shiite
population. This is not the first attack that has occurred in the
area. Hezbollah compounds have come under frequent fire before,
especially as Sunni-on-Shia tensions have begun to mirror each other
across the Middle East.
Civil
Defence personnel transport a body at the site of explosions near the
Iranian embassy in Beirut November 19, 2013.(Reuters / Mahmoud Kheir)
While
an ally of Iran, Hezbollah is also a strong supporter of neighboring
Syria’s President Bashar Assad, who is currently fighting his own
terrorist threat.
Political
bombings in Lebanon are a frequent occurrence. One of the more severe
recent ones took place in late August, when 42 people lost their
lives, while literally hundreds were injured in twin explosions in
the city of Tripoli. Similarly, a blast near Hezbollah’s
headquarters just days before, on August 15, killed 27 people,
injuring 150.
Sunni
radicals claimed responsibility.
In
June, the same location was targeted, when a car bomb blast injured
53 people.
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