Lebanese security officials says explosion has struck Shiite neighborhood in southern Beirut
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lebanese security officials say an explosion has hit a Shiite-dominated neighborhood in southern Beirut, setting fire to a building and sending plumes of smoke over the area.
The officials say Tuesday's blast in Haret Hreik district took place meters (yards) away from where a car bomb struck earlier this month, killing five people.
The officials say it was not immediately clear what caused the explosion nor if there are any casualties.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Lebanese television station al-Manar is broadcasting footage from the blast site, showing hundreds of people flocking to the area as ambulances rush to the location.
The bombing is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Shiites in Lebanon, apparently in retaliation for the militant Hezbollah group's fighting in Syria on the side of President Bashar Assad's troops.