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Town tense after deadly attacks
21/04/2008 14:03 - (SA)
Zahle - The Lebanese town of Zahle was tense with many people in mourning on Monday, hours after two activists were shot dead at the inauguration of a Phalange party headquarters.
Funerals for Nasri al-Maruni and Salim Assi, whose son was wounded in the Sunday evening attack, are planned for Tuesday.
Both Assi and al-Maruni were supporters of the Christian Phalange party, a member of Lebanon's ruling coalition.
Police named the suspect as Joseph Zouki and said they had launched a manhunt for him. He is thought to be a supporter of Zahle MP Elie Skaff, a Christian supporter of the opposition.
Intense security measures have been taken in the eastern town with all cars being searched at checkpoints in the search of Zouki and his brother who are thought to be behind the shooting, a security official said.
Three other people were wounded in the shooting.
"The security services have conducted several operations and raids where the person responsible for the attack could have taken refuge," the security official said.
Failure to elect a president
Lebanon's general prosecutor Abdallah al-Bitar has arrived in Zahle to conduct an investigation, an AFP correspondent in the area said.
Skaff could not be reached for comment.
Sami Gemayel, the son of Phalange leader and former president Amin Gemeyel, had just left the event at the time of the shooting.
Lebanon's Syrian- and Iranian-backed opposition refuses to recognise the legitimacy of the Western-backed cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora since its six ministers quit nearly 18 months ago.
The wrangling has left Lebanon without a head of state since last November when pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his mandate.
Seventeen attempts for MPs to meet to elect a president have failed.
The next session planned for Tuesday is unlikely to take place as a political agreement between the two sides has not been reached.
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