Hezbollah withdrawing from Beirut

In northern Lebanon, pro-government demonstrators and Future Movement supporters have stormed Hezbollah offices in Tripoli. This comes as the Lebanese army ordered its troops on Saturday to establish security. But as violence spreads to other parts of the country tensions in the capital of Beirut, appear to be defusing.

Protesters chanted slogans against Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah, in Tripoli.

Outside the office protesters also set fire to an ambulance belonging to Hezbollah.

But Muslim west Beirut appeared mostly calm a day after Hezbollah and its allies seized large parts of the area.

Hezbollah gunmen began retreating from the streets of Beirut late on Saturday.

Hezbollah says it is withdrawing its gunmen from Beirut neighborhoods that were seized in sectarian clashes. The fighting was triggered after the Lebanese army ordered its troops to establish security and clear the streets.

Earlier, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora called on the army to restore law and order and remove gunmen from the streets. He said Lebanon could no longer accept Hezbollah having weapons.

Fighting broke out after the government tried to fire a Hezbollah-linked airport security chief and shut down a Hezbollah communications network.

The army later offered Hezbollah a compromise. It said the airport security chief would not be sacked and recommended to the government that it revoke the decision to declare the Hezbollah communications network illegal.