Sunnis loyal to Prime Minister-elect Saad Al-Hariri battled Shiites loyal to parliament speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah in the streets of west Beirut on Sunday evening. Fighters used automatic weapons, rockets and mortars until Lebanese army troops restored order to the area. One woman was killed and four people were wounded during the battle. The stalemate that crippled the previous government began in similar fashion in 2008, when the same factions fought street battles. Hizbullah’s troops ultimately seized control of Sunni neighborhoods. The resulting truce left Hizbullah with a veto power over actions of the ensuing unity government. Hizbullah again emerged as the minority power in this month’s elections and observers have been waiting to see whether the group, labeled a terrorist organization in the West, will move militarily again. A key issue before the parliament is the disarming of Hizbullah pursuant to Lebanese law, but Hizbullah says it will never lay down its arms
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