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Hezbollah Regions Targeted As Syria War Spreads to Lebanon

Amid rising sectarian tensions and following Hezbollah’s decision to fight in Syria's civil war, attacks against Hezbollah-controlled regions throughout Lebanon have increased.

People inspect the site of the explosion that occurred on Tuesday in Beirut's southern suburbs July 10, 2013. A massive car bomb ripped through a Beirut stronghold of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group that has been fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, wounding 53 people on Tuesday. None of those hurt were seriously wounded, Health Minister Hassan Khalil told Reuters, and there were no fatalities. REUTERS/Sharif Karim  (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX11INJ
People inspect on July 10, 2013, the site of the July 9 explosion that occurred in Beirut's southern suburbs. — REUTERS/Sharif Karim

There are ghosts hunting Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, over a wide expanse of the country stretching from Beirut’s southern suburbs all the way to Lebanon’s south and north to the Bekaa. These areas, predominantly inhabited by Hezbollah’s social base, face daily alarms and reports of suspicious objects that may contain explosive devices. These incidents are quickly checked out and dealt with by members of the party or the Lebanese army. Reporting suspect objects or vehicles has become a daily occurrence that reflects the growing concern inside Hezbollah’s areas of influence about their continued targeting with explosive devices.

Since Hezbollah directly entered the fray in Syria on the side of the regime, it has worked to neutralize reactions such as the ones taking place today. The party has sealed off its territory by adopting security measures that include installing surveillance cameras on all the entrances to its neighborhoods, as well as, some say, electronic explosive-detection devices and roving patrols by members of its security teams.

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