DHAKA: A car bomb struck a stronghold of the Shia Hezbollah group in eastern Lebanon early on Tuesday, causing a number of casualties.

Lebanon’s state-run news agency said, reports gulfnews.com.

A Lebanese official and the group’s Al Manar TV confirmed the blast and said it occurred near the remote village of Sbouba in the Baalbek region, but there was no immediate word on the nature of the explosion or the target.

The TV station owned by Hezbollah said there were no casualties.

The explosion appears to be part of a wave of attacks on Hezbollah strongholds and interests in Lebanon.

The group is fighting in Syria alongside president Bashar Al Assad’s troops and has received threats of retaliation from the largely Sunni rebels fighting to topple him.

A Lebanese security official confirmed the explosion but said there was no immediate word on the nature of the target or casualties.

He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

BDST: 1650 HRS, DEC 17, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor