Beirut blast kills Sunni ex-minister Mohammed Shattah
A local TV channel showed that a wide area was affected by the blast A huge explosion in central Beirut has killed former Lebanese Finance Minister Mohammed Shattah.
He was an adviser to the former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim. A car was seen in flames near government offices and the parliament.
The Syrian conflict has increased sectarian tensions in Lebanon.
The Lebanese Shia militant movement Hezbollah has sent fighters to Syria to back the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
President Assad comes from the Alawite sect, a heterodox offshoot of Shia Islam.
Some of the Syrian rebel groups are affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Iran, which backs Hezbollah, saw its embassy in Beirut attacked last month.
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