Army deployed after Bekaa clashes

Troops have been deployed in the Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, after at least one person was injured in clashes between rival political factions.

Reports say fighting in the villages of Saadnayel and Taalabayeh was sparked by arguments among residents, which escalated into gun battles.

The army says it is looking for those involved in the weekend’s violence.

Sporadic fighting has broken out in Lebanon despite May’s peace deal which ended the 18-month political stalemate.

The army moved into the Bekaa Valley villages on Monday to quell fighting between pro-and anti-government supporters.

A local radio station reported that mortar rounds and rockets had been used but the army is said to have restored calm in both villages.

The army says it has also carried out raids in the mountain village of Majdelbanna, in the Aley region, and has detained several people suspected of involvement in clashes there over the weekend.

Tensions in Lebanon between the opposition led by the Shia movement Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria, and the pro-Western government erupted into violence last month.

More than 65 people were killed in the worst violence the country has seen since the 15-year civil war.

But the feuding Lebanese factions later pulled the situation back from the brink to reach a new power-sharing agreement leading to a national unity government after talks in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Army chief General Michel Suleiman was elected president on May 25 and is widely seen as a unifying figure in the country.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband met Mr. Suleiman in Beirut on Monday.