A bomb exploded in a Christian area north of Beirut on Monday, wounding at least five people, according to reports from the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation.

The explosion went off near the Hotel Promenade in Zalka just before 11 p.m. (8 p.m. GMT) and blew out the walls of the building, covering the area with rubble, twisted metal and glass.

It was the tenth bomb blast in Beirut since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in February that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon under enormous popular pressure.

"I was sitting on the balcony with my children when we saw a flash and heard a loud noise," Fadi Yacoub told Reuters.

According to CNN, there were conflicting reports of where the bomb had been planted.

Though a Lebanese civil defence spokesperson told LBC that the bomb had been planted inside a building, a Lebanese security source said it was detonated in a parking lot adjacent to the hotel.

Meanwhile, police and an army unit have thrown a security cordon around the building, preventing the public or press from approaching.





Joe Alvarez
Christian Today Correspondent