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Lebanon troops patrol Beirut after Hezbollah pullout
By Laila Bassam
1 hour, 17 minutes ago

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese troops patrolled Beirut on Sunday after Hezbollah fighters pulled back from areas they had seized in gunbattles with supporters of the U.S.-backed government that have killed 39 people.

But fighting raged overnight in Tripoli, Lebanon’s second largest city, between pro- and anti-government gunmen. Security sources said at least two people were killed and five were wounded in the fighting.

Hundreds of soldiers backed by armored vehicles set up roadblocks and took up positions on the streets of the mainly Muslim part of the capital. There were no gunmen in sight but youths maintained barricades on some crucial roads, ensuring Beirut’s air and sea ports remained closed.

Hezbollah, a political group backed by Iran and Syria with a guerrilla army, said on Saturday it was ending its armed presence in Beirut after the army overturned government decisions against it.

While tensions have eased slightly in Beirut, there was little progress in efforts to resolve the core political disputes that have plunged Lebanon into its worst crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.

The Hezbollah-led opposition said it would maintain a “civil disobedience” campaign until all of its demands were met.

Hezbollah took over much of west Beirut on Friday after its fighters routed supporters of the anti-Syrian ruling coalition.

Four days of fighting erupted after the government said it was taking action against Hezbollah’s military communications network and sacked the head of security at Beirut airport, who is close to the group.

Hezbollah called the move against its communications a declaration of war, saying the network had played a crucial role in its 34-day war with Israel in 2006.

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More at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080511/wl_nm/lebanon_dc