UN chief commends Lebanese government for handling of bombing in Beirut

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Saturday commended the government of Lebanon for its handling of a bomb attack in Beirut on Friday, Xinhua reported.

"The secretary-general spoke by telephone today with Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon to discuss Friday's bombing in Beirut," said a readout issued to the press here by Ban's spokesman.

In the phone call, Ban expressed strong solidarity with the people of Lebanon and praised the prime minister, the government and the president of Lebanon for their handling of the incident.

"The secretary-general offered his deepest condolences for the loss of life, and noted he had issued a strong statement on the attack," said the readout.

In a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Ban strongly condemned the fatal car bomb attack in Beirut, which killed several people and injured dozens of others.

He called for a thorough investigation into the incident and urged to bring the perpetrators to justice, said the statement.

Wissam El Hassan, a senior Lebanese security official, and seven others were killed in the car bomb explosion in eastern Beirut, media reports said.

More than 80 other people were also injured in the explosion, the first of its kind in Beirut since 2008.

The bombing came amid heightened tensions and rifts in Lebanon, where religious sects are divided between those supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and those backing the opposition trying to force him out.

The UN secretary-general "called on all Lebanese parties not to be provoked by this heinous terrorist act and to maintain their commitment to national unity," said the statement.