by Youssef Hourany

Beirut (AsiaNews) – Two dead and five wounded is the provisional toll of the car bomb that hit a convey in Antelias, south of Beirut, in which was travelling  Elias el-Murr, Deputy Prime Minister and son-in-law of Lebanese President Émile Lahoud, wounding him.

Mr el-Murr's chief of security, Colonel Elias al-Baysari, was among the wounded—he now lies in very serious conditions in a hospital.

El-Murr was rushed to Serhal Hospital in Rabiey where he underwent surgery. Hospital sources confirm that the operation went well.

President Lahoud went to the hospital and expressed "his full willingness to facilitate the formation of the new government". The car bomb occurred just a few hours before the swearing-in ceremony of the next executive at the Baabda President Palace.

Speaking to AsiaNews, out going Prime Minister Najib Mikati "condemned this chain of violent deeds" and urged the population and the government "to follow the democratic process, the only way to get Lebanon out of this situation".

He expressed his sympathy to Deputy Prime Minister el-Murr, and confirmed the "government's firm intention to stop these acts that have been striking Lebanon since the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14.

• lebanon
• car
• bomb
• terrorists
• el-murr
• explosion
• wounded