One person was killed in Lebanon on Tuesday in a clash over parliamentary elections results, reported the country’s National News Agency.
The dispute in the Choueifat region erupted between supporters of the rival Progressive Socialist Party and Lebanese Democratic Party, both influential forces in the country’s minority Druze sect.
The dispute, which started as a fistfight escalated into a shootout and a hand grenade was thrown at a PSP center in the area.
One person was killed in the clash. He was identified as Alaa Abou Faraj, a member of the Civil Defense. Reuters said he was a PSP member.
The army, security forces, partisan and political forces soon intervened to contain the situation and avert its escalation.
Newly-elected MP Taymour Jumblat, the son of PSP leader Walid Jumblat, made a call for calm, urging the people against being “dragged towards strife.”
MP Walid Jumblat and Lebanese Democratic Party chief Talal Arslan later both issued a statement calling on all party supporters to end the clash in Choueifat.
They underscored the need for restraint, calling on the concerned security agencies to put an end to the violence.
Parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon for the first time since 2009.
Foreign observers said voting was generally peaceful but that some scuffles and other violence had taken place.
The country's sectarian political system means rival parties from the same sect are often pitted against each other in competition for the same seats.
The Druze sect is allocated eight of the 128 seats in parliament, which are divided evenly between Christian and Muslim sects.
