Thousands gather for Beirut funeral of slain security chief

Thousands of mourners gathered in central Beirut on Sunday for the funeral of slain internal security chief Wissam al-Hassan, a ceremony likely to become a rally against Syrian authorities.

General al-Hassan, a prominent figure opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, died when a powerful bomb exploded in an upmarket Beirut suburb on Friday, sparking angry calls for Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his government to quit.

(Photo courtesy Al Arabiya)

The slain police intelligence chief is to be buried late afternoon in Beirut alongside the grave of his mentor, former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, whose 2005 assassination sparked an outcry that forced Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon after three decades of occupation.

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.

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