Blast rocks south Lebanon, security source says struck Hezbollah house

One of the security sources said Hezbollah, a heavily armed and politically powerful Shi'ite Muslim group, had set up a security cordon in the area, where the blast sent a huge cloud of smoke into the sky. The broadcaster Al-Jadeed also reported the cordon and said it was a Hezbollah building. Southern Lebanon is a political stronghold of Hezbollah.

An explosion rocked a village in southern Lebanon on Tuesday and a security source said initial reports indicated the blast struck a house belonging to the heavily armed group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.

Security sources said there were several injuries, without giving figures. One of the security sources said Hezbollah, a heavily armed and politically powerful Shi'ite Muslim group, had set up a security cordon in the area, where the blast sent a huge cloud of smoke into the sky. The broadcaster Al-Jadeed also reported the cordon and said it was a Hezbollah building.

Southern Lebanon is a political stronghold of Hezbollah. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion in the area of the village of Ain Qana, about 50 km (30 miles) south of Beirut.

A witness near the village said they felt the ground shake.