Pro-Syrian minister wounded in car bomb

A car bomb wounded Lebanon's defence minister and killed two people yesterday in the first attack on an ally of Syria since the assassination of of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February.

Several bombs have exploded in Lebanon since the blast that killed Mr Hariri, who had turned against Syria. The deadly attacks have revived memories of the country's 1975-90 civil war.

The bomb that ripped through the motorcade of Defence Minister Elias al-Murr in the Christian suburb of Antelias north of Beirut contained about 100 kg of explosives, detonated by remote control, a security source said.

At least 13 people were also wounded in the explosion.

President Emile Lahoud, a close ally of Damascus, said "enemies of Lebanon" were behind the attempt to kill Mr Murr, who is also his son-in-law. He said such attacks aimed to plunge the country into civil strife.

"I know the country is going through a difficult phase and we all have to be steadfast until this phase passes," Mr Murr, wounded in his face and hand, said from his hospital bed.

Medics removed a charred body from a mangled car after the blast, which wrecked several vehicles in a wealthy hillside area overlooking the Mediterranean. Blood stained the road. Smoking vehicle parts were blown into the garden of a nearby villa.

In Lebanon's tangled web of political alliances, it was not clear who might have been responsible for the attack. Two of the bombings since Mr Hariri's death have killed foes of Syria.

"Those who tried to kill... Elias al-Murr today are the enemies of Lebanon who don't differentiate between Lebanese belonging to various groups," Mr Lahoud said in a statement.

"Their aim is to deal one blow after another to the symbols of moderation and nationalism in order to undermine stability and security in the country and try to ignite strife," he said.

Syria, suspected by many Lebanese of having a hand in Mr Hariri's death and other attacks, denies involvement. Damascus, which withdrew its troops from Lebanon in April, said the attempt on Mr Murr's life was meant to destabilise its neighbour.

"These acts of terror target Lebanese from all political streams, which affirms that those behind them are directly linked to the enemies of Lebanon and stability in the region," said an official source quoted by the state news agency SANA.

A Syrian customs official said yesterday his men had found explosives in a truck coming from Lebanon last week and received information that car bombs might also be headed for the border.

He did not disclose the destination of the truck carrying explosives intercepted at the Jdeideh customs post.

Mr Lahoud was among senior officials and Western diplomats who visited Mr Murr, who is also deputy Prime Minister, in hospital.

The US embassy condemned the attack, saying in a statement it was "confident that the Lebanese people will not be deterred by these crimes from the path of political, economic and institutional transformation on which they have embarked". George Aouad, 14, said at the scene: "I saw a car on fire. Two drivers with blood dripping from their faces took the minister from the back seat, put him in a car and drove away."

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a fierce foe of Syria, linked the attack on Mr Murr with the investigation into Mr Hariri's death.