At least two people were killed in Beirut on Thursday when heavy gunfire targeted supporters of the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, as they headed to a protest demanding the removal of the judge investigating last year's explosion at the city's port.
The Lebanese army are deployed in the streets of Beirut as gunfire exchanges turn the capital into a war zone a few blocks from the Justice Palace, where hundreds of black-clad protesters had gathered to demand the removal of judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator in the port blast.
Gunfire killed two people and wounded 12 at a Beirut rally organized by the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal movements Thursday to demand the dismissal of the Beirut blast lead investigator.
One man died of a gunshot to the head and the other of a shot to the chest, said Mariam Hassan of the Sahel Hospital in Beirut's mainly Shiite southern suburbs.
Twelve wounded are in critical condition, the doctor said, reporting a continued influx of casualties.
Lebanese television broadcast images of men carrying rifles and heavy weaponry.
In a follow-up statement, the military warned that it would open fire at anyone firing live rounds, calling on civilians to evacuate the area.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for calm to be restored and warned against attempts to drag Lebanon into violence.