Ban Condemns Dahieh Blast, Urges Lebanese to Rally around State Institutions

United Nations Secretary General Ban Kin-moon strongly condemned the car bomb explosion that targeted the neighborhood of Ruwais in the southern Beirut suburbs on Thursday, his spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

It said: “During this period of heightened tensions, the Secretary General urges all Lebanese to remain united, to rally around their state institutions and to focus on safeguarding Lebanon’s security and stability.”

“Such acts of violence are completely unacceptable and only reinforce the determination of the international community to continue supporting Lebanon’s security and stability at a time of severe regional turbulence,” the statement continued.

Ban hoped that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as soon as possible, expressing his condolences for those killed and extending his deep sympathies to those injured.

At least 18 people were killed and 248 others wounded in a car bombing that rocked Hizbullah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs on Thursday, state-run National News Agency reported.

The blast went off on the public road between Bir al-Abed and Ruwais.