"This has resulted in the capture of several suspects and the confiscation of weaponry," the army said on June 9.

The army also searched homes in the Bekaa villages of Saadnayel and Talabaya. On June 7, a clash erupted between government and pro-Syrian groups.

Witnesses said both pro-government and Hizbullah groups used heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled-grenade launchers and mortars, in the Bekaa Valley. The army has denied this and warned Lebanese media outlets against exaggerating the violence.

Beirut has also been the venue of Sunni-Shi'ite battles. Officials said some of the fighting was connected to Sunni attempts to avenge Hizbullah attacks on Siniora supporters in May 2008, in which at least 65 people were killed.

The Shi'ite-dominated army has also been a target of bombings. Most of the attacks were said to stem from the renewed Al Qaida presence in Lebanon.

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