[An Nahar] Eighty-four people have been charged in connection with last month's bloody street battles in Beirut's Borj Abi Haidra neighborhood between the Hezbullies and Al-Ahbash, a pro-Syrian Sunni faction. State-run National News Agency on Monday said 22 of those charged are in custody and that Lebanese authorities were seeking to detain the remaining 62. Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said in a statement earlier Monday that the 22 suspects in custody "have been charged with murder, attempted murder, incitement to sectarian strife, arson and the possession of weapons and explosives."
Najjar said the 22 detainees have been referred to the military investigating judge for prosecution.
The statement said military police had interrogated 52 people "of different affiliations" before taking the 22 into custody.
A dispute over a parking space Aug.24 quickly developed into deadly clashes with machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
Three people were killed including Hizbullah official and his bodyguard and an Ahbash member.
The fighting again put widespread arms in Beirut in the limelight and raised fears of a repeat of May 2008, when Hizbullah and its allies seized west Beirut. At least 100 people were killed in the week-long street battles.