Saleh Aridi, a member of Lebanon's opposition Democratic party, was killed Wednesday in a car bomb explosion in the vicinity of Aley town, southeast of Beirut, officials said. "Aridi was killed in the explosion in Baysur, near Aley," a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "The initial probe indicates that the bomb was placed inside his Mercedes." A Lebanese army spokesman said three other people were injured.The incident comes as Lebanon's political parties prepare for a national dialogue next week aimed at reconciling their differences, which in May brought the country close to civil war.
Aridi, in his 50s, was a top advisor to Druze leader Talal Arslan, a rival to Walid Jumblatt, a leading member of the Western-backed parliamentary majority.
The last car bombing in Lebanon dates back to January, when a senior intelligence officer investigating killings largely blamed on Syria was slain with three other people in the Lebanese capital.