(Vatican Radio) At least 43 people were killed and more than 240 wounded on Thursday in two suicide bomb blasts claimed by Islamic State in a crowded residential district in Beirut's southern suburbs. The area is a stronghold of the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah.
The blasts occurred almost simultaneously during rush hour and struck a Shi'ite community centre and a nearby bakery, security sources said.
Islamic State took responsibility for the attack in a statement posted online. It claimed the explosives were delivered by a motorbike. Hezbollah has responded by vowing to continue its fight against "terrorists", warning of a "long war" against its enemies.
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said a third suicide bomber had been killed by one of the explosions before he could detonate his own bomb.
The war in Syria, with which Lebanon shares a 300 km border, has ignited sectarian strife in the multi-confessional country, leading to bombings and fighting between supporters of the opposing sides in both countries.
Listen to Nathan Morley's report:
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