Muslims Shell Christian Areas North of Beirut
BEIRUT — Muslim militiamen shelled Christian areas north of Beirut on Sunday in a new violation of a Syrian-brokered truce designed to stop bombardment of residential areas in Lebanon.
Police said four artillery and rocket barrages hit coastal townships in the Christian heartland above Beirut. They said 17 shells crashed in woods near the city of Juniyah, 12 miles north of the capital. There was no immediate report of casualties.
For the second day in a row, violence closed all crossings along the Green Line, which divides Beirut into predominantly Christian and Muslim sectors.
Police said 16 motorists remained missing after rival Christian and Muslim militias grabbed them Saturday while they were trying to drive across the Green Line.
The truce reached last Thursday was designed to end two weeks of violence that has killed more than 300 people.
Meanwhile, in the eastern town of Baalbek, rival Sunni and Shia Muslim gunmen clashed Sunday after what began as a squabble over a marriage, reporters said. A 3-year-old boy was shot to death.
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