Power Generator Blast Sparks Panic in Edgy Dahieh

The explosion of a power generator Thursday in Beirut's southern suburbs caused a loud blast and sparked panic among the residents of the edgy region.

The Internal Security Forces said the explosion occurred at the Hallal Building in al-Kafaat.

"The power generator exploded after a large fire extinguisher blew up next to it," the ISF explained.

The incident comes in the wake of a heavy security deployment by the army and Hizbullah at Dahieh's entrances after reports about possible bomb attacks prompted them to take strict measures in the area.

Some media reports said an underground tunnel connecting the Bourj al-Barajneh and Sabra Palestinian refugee camps had been discovered only 70 meters away from the Hizbullah-affiliated Great Prophet Hospital.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper said the party had obtained information that a “terrorist group will attack the Great Prophet and Bahman hospitals with explosives.”

Lebanon has been witnessing a stable security situation since several months. A wave of bombings linked to the Syrian war had left scores of casualties.

The majority of the bomb attacks rocked Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hizbullah stronghold.

Y.R.