Clashes between Hezbollah and Future Movement members broke out in western Beirut shortly after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah ended his press conference on Thursday.

Future TV reported that Hezbollah gunmen were seen on the streets of Hamra. Hamra residents reported sporadic gunfire from multiple directions, indicating that fighting had spread from the fractious mixed neighborhoods already marred by fighting into neighboring areas.

Combatants battled street to street with machine guns and RPGs as the lines between militia members and residents blurred. One resident near Raouche witnessed several men leaving a narguileh stand across from her apartment, each carrying a large automatic weapon, and one carrying a Future Movement flag.

Residents nearer to the Lebanese American University had their apartments rocked by RPG fire. Fighting was reported around Karakon Al-Druze, Al-Zarif, Al-Mulla, Aisha Bakkar, Verdun and around Ain Al-Tineh. Ain al-Tineh, between Verdun and Hamra, is Amal leader Nabih Berri's stronghold. The headquarters of Future Movement leader Saad Hariri, Qoreitem, is adjacent to Hamra, in the same general area.

-NOW Staff