Hezbollah, Druze fight near Beirut

BEIRUT: Shi'ites loyal to Lebanese opposition group Hezbollah battled Druze supporters of the ruling coalition east of Beirut yesterday, adding to the worst civil strife since the 1975-90 war.

The fighting in Aley, a town in the mountains overlooking Beirut, and nearby villages was the latest violence between followers of Hezbollah, a group backed by Syria and Iran, and supporters of the US-backed governing coalition.

At least four people were killed and 12 wounded, bringing the number of dead in five days of fighting throughout Lebanon to 46. At least 132 people have been wounded.