Thousands attend Hassan funeral in Beirut

Thousands of people gathered in central Beirut for the funeral of slain intelligence officer Wissam al-Hassan.

Hassan, who uncovered an alleged Syrian bomb plot inside Lebanon two months ago, died in a car bomb blast that killed seven other people and wounded 80 in Beirut on Friday.

Lebanese politicians have accused Syria's leadership of having a role in the assassination, which deepened fears the civil war there is spreading beyond its borders.

Heavy gunfire erupted in the capital after the funeral as protesters tried to storm the prime minister's office.

Security forces also fired tear gas at the crowd after they breached an outer barrier around Najib Mikati's offices.

Hundreds of protesters, waving flags from the anti-Syrian opposition Future Movement - a mainly Sunni Muslim party - and Christian Lebanese Forces, marched on Mr Mikati's offices after the funeral.

Soldiers were deployed in force across Beirut for the funeral, with squads standing guard at road junctions and stopping cars from entering the downtown area.

Senior politicians and the military and security top brass turned out at the Internal Security Force headquarters for the start of the funeral, held with full military honours and broadcast live on national television.

Hassan's wife and two sons, the youngest weeping, listened as he was eulogised by the head of police, Ashraf Rifi, and President Michel Suleiman.

In keeping with custom for state funerals, church bells pealed as police officers carried the flag-draped coffins of Hassan and his bodyguard to the mosque through chanting crowds.

Muslim prayers were broadcast by loudspeaker from the mosque.

Former prime minister Saad al-Hariri accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of being behind the bombing and Lebanon's political opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose government includes Syria's Shia Muslim ally Hezbollah.

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