Deadly clashes in Lebanon after Hezbollah truck 'carrying weapons' overturns

Two people were killed in Lebanon on Wednesday in clashes between members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group and residents of a Christian town, officials on both sides said.

The deadly violence broke out after a truck overturned on a road cutting through the town of Kahale, which residents claim was carrying weapons for the powerful Shia movement.

Kahale mayor Abdo Abi Khalil said after the accident, residents of the town surrounded the truck demanding to know what was inside.

Hezbollah members escorting the truck opened fire at the residents to keep them at bay, killing one person, Abi Khalil said.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that one of its members was wounded during the incident and later died of his injuries.

"A number of armed men... present in the area gathered and attacked" those escorting the truck, read the statement.

"They began by throwing rocks, and then opened fire," it said, adding that one of its members was shot and injured and later died.

A security official had earlier told AFP the injured Hezbollah member was in critical condition.

"Hezbollah members have withdrawn from the area and the army is now handling the situation," the official said.

A statement by residents of Kahale, read on local television, said the townspeople would seal off the road, which runs from Beirut to Damascus until authorities disclose the contents of the truck.

They claimed that Hezbollah was transporting weapons and ammunition in the vehicle.

The Lebanese army was expected to empty the truck and remove it from the area, the security official said, adding that the area had been cordoned off.

Considered a "terrorist" organisation by many Western governments, Hezbollah is the only side not to have disarmed following Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, and it is also a powerful player in Lebanese politics.