1975: Beirut street battle leaves 17 dead

At least 17 people have been killed and 30 wounded in an ambush by right-wing Lebanese forces on a bus carrying Palestinians in Beirut.

Reports are confused but it appears the Lebanese Phalangist gunmen attacked the bus, killing at least 14 and injuring about 20 more, as it drove through a Christian suburb of Beirut.

The trouble began earlier when Palestinian guerrillas, driving jeeps through the district of Ayn-al-Rummanah, reportedly opened fire on the congregation outside a Maronite Christian church.

Christian Phalangist leader, Pierre Gemayel, was attending Mass at the church and his Phalangist supporters on guard outside seized one of the jeeps and a scuffle broke out.

Raked with gunfire

When the bus passed, the Phalangist gunmen who were staked out around the church raked it with gunfire. Most of the dead were Palestininan

Tension has been running high following the attempted kidnapping of Amin Gemayel, the son of Pierre Gemayel, leader of the most influential Christian group.

Pierre Gemayel founded the Phalangist militia to protect the Maronite Christian community, which has dominated Lebanese politics and leadership of the army since the formation of Greater Lebanon in 1920.

But the Christians have faced increasing resentment from the various Muslim groups, who have grown rapidly in numbers, but remain under-represented by the government.

Feelings among the Christians have been exacerbated by the arrival of Palestinian refugees, who have set up their headquarters under the leadership of Yasser Arafat in Beirut.

The leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation has tonight called on Arab nations to exert pressure on Lebanon to punish the Phalangists.

He sent a telegramme accusing the Phalangists of ambushing a civilian bus, killing many of its passengers including women and children.

	E-mail this story to a friend