World

Funeral of Lebanese politician killed by car bomb

21:07 pm on 29 December 2013

The funeral of a prominent Lebanese politician who was assassinated by a powerful car bomb in Beirut is taking place.

Mohamad Chatah, a former finance minister and United States ambassador, was killed on Friday along with six others.

His supporters have indirectly accused the Syrian government and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of the killing. Both deny any involvement.

Mr Chatah, a Sunni Muslim, was a staunch critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah movement that backs him.

The BBC reports that Lebanon has been hit by a wave of attacks linked to heightened Sunni-Shia tensions over the Syrian war.

No-one has claimed responsibility for Friday's bombing, which killed four people and injured at least 50 others.

Correspondents say Mr Chatah, who served as an adviser to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, was seen as a moderate in the polarised country.