A bomb exploded on a Beirut street early Wednesday close to the residences of the Saudi and UAE ambassadors. The explosion did not cause any casualties but started a small fire, security forces said. | The bomb was apparently thrown from a speeding car on the seafront boulevard in the Ramlet al-Baida area shortly after midnight Tuesday night. |
Security forces cordoned off the area and put out the fire. A senior police officer said the bomb was thrown next to the residences of the Saudi and Emirati ambassadors, and that of Adi Hariri, one of the sons of the assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The officer did not know whether Hariri and the ambassadors were at home. The explosion, which occurred on the second day of Eid al-Fitr, caused a wave of panic among residents and clients of nearby restaurants.
The officer said investigators were examining security surveillance footage from surrounding residences in hopes of identifying the perpetrators. Investigators also took statements from several witnesses. The head of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Ashraf Rifi, said on Wednesday that an investigation into the incident was under way.