Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in a northern Beirut suburb Tuesday in the latest in a spate of attacks to target anti-Syrian politicians.
BEIRUT: Lebanese Christian cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel, an outspoken critic of Syria, was assassinated near Beirut on Tuesday, security sources said.
Gunmen opened fire as his convoy drove through the Christian Sin el-Fil neighbourhood, they said. Gemayel, who was in his 30s, was rushed to hospital where he later died of his wounds.
Local television footage showed angry and weeping supporters gathering at the hospital.
The killing is certain to deepen a political crisis pitting the anti-Syrian majority against the pro-Damascus opposition led by Hezbollah.
"We believe the hand of Syria is all over the place," Saad al-Hariri, son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, said from Beirut shortly after Gemayel was shot dead.
Gemayel, a member of the Christian Phalange Party and industry minister, was the son of former President Amin Gemayel. His uncle Bashir Gemayel was killed in September 1982 after he was elected as president during Israel's invasion of Lebanon.
Pierre, like his father and late uncle, was an opponent of the influence in Lebanon of Syria, who many Lebanese blame for the February 2005 assassination of former prime minister Hariri.
Hariri's son Saad, who is parliamentary majority leader, interrupted a news conference to announce the shooting of Gemayel.
"They want to kill every free person," Hariri said, hinting that Syria was behind the latest killing.
Anti-Syrian Christian leader Samir Geagea said on Friday efforts to topple the government could lead to assassination attempts on cabinet ministers.
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