BEIRUT, Lebanon — A large explosion rocked a Christian suburb east of Beirut early Wednesday, killing a top military general and three others and wounding dozens, the state-run news agency said. Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj, head of military operations in the army command, was killed in the explosion along with his bodyguard, the agency said. The army had no immediate comment.The explosion came as Lebanon is embroiled in its worst political crisis since the end of the 1975-90 civil war and amid heightened tensions between pro-government and opposition groups. The country has been without a president since Nov. 23 when Emile Lahoud left office and a deadlocked parliament failed to elect a successor. Hajj's name had been mentioned among others as a possible successor to army commander Michel Suleiman if he is elected president.
Lebanese security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with standing government regulations, said at least two cars were set afire and several others were damaged in Wednesday's bombing outside the municipality building in the town of Baabda. The wooded, hilly Baabda is the historic capital of Mount Lebanon province, and seat of the presidential palace, which is on a nearby hill. The Defense Ministry and the army command are located in the adjacent town of Yarze.
Lebanon has been rocked by a series of explosion since a massive truck bombing killed former Premier Rafik Hariri in 2005 in central Beirut. The last major explosion on Sept. 19 killed anti-Syrian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem on a Beirut street.