Renewed fighting erupts in Lebanon

Fierce battles resumed Tuesday in northern Lebanon, further exacerbating tensions after days of sectarian unrest that has driven the nation to the brink of full-blown civil war. Fighting erupted shortly after 3:00 am (0000 GMT) between supporters of Lebanon's Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition in the city of Tripoli, with fighters using machine guns, mortars and rocked-propelled grenades, a security official and an AFP correspondent said. The battles, between Sunnis loyal to the government and pro-Hezbollah Alawites, in Tripoli's Bab al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods eased about a half hour later. There were no immediate reports of casualties.