There has been a powerful explosion in southern Beirut in an area that is a stronghold of Hezbollah. <br /><br />At least five people are said to have been killed, with some reports speaking of sixty injured – though many of those are said to be slightly hurt.<br /><br />Pictures broadcast on Lebanese TV showed the aftermath of what is thought to have been a car bomb.<br /><br />It went off in the district of Haret Hareik, reportedly not far from a headquarters of the Shi’ite group. <br /><br />The Lebanese capital has been hit by a series of bombs in recent months, much of it linked to the war in neighbouring Syria.<br /><br />Last Friday a former finance minister died in a car bomb that also killed four other people. Mohamad Chatah was a strong critic of Hezbollah.<br /><br />The Syrian conflict has polarised opinion in Lebanon, increasing sectarian tensions.<br /><br />Hezbollah has sent fighters to join the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, who is from the Alawite offshoot of Shi’ite Islam.<br /><br />Sunni Muslims have gone to Syria to fight for rebels trying to topple his government.<br /><br />انفجار الضاحية هلق pic.twitter.com/HIbBISHypW— Moudi (@moudiidd) 2 Janvier 2014<br /><br />المزيد من الصور الاولى للانفجار <br />#حارة_حريك #الضاحية_الجنوبية #بيروت #لبنان #Lebanon #Beirut #إنفجار pic.twitter.com/agHs27aq4v— #Addiyar (@AddiyarNews) 2 Janvier 2014<br /><br />انفجار بمنطقة بئرالعبد بالضاحية الجنوبية ل #بيروت <br /> ،Explosion in Bai’r El’abd, southern <br />suburb of #Beirut <br />#لبنان pic.twitter.com/Tdk4OnDbEx— سارة عثمان (@Sarah_Othmann) 2 Janvier 2014<br /><br />#انفجار_الضاحية pic.twitter.com/jhj2mPAthW— الزعيم (@zaaeim) 2 Janvier 2014<br /><br />الدخان الاسود فوق #الضاحية_الجنوبية لبيروت pic.twitter.com/3LU5i6g35L— Al Joumhouria (@aljoumhouria) 2 Janvier 2014
