Fighting in Mount Lebanon rages between pro and anti-government supporters

Heavy fighting between pro and anti-government supporters has broken out in the mountain areas of central Lebanon. The country has hung between fears of all-out war and hopes of political compromise.

Fighting shifted outside Beirut on the weekend. Sunday saw the collapse of pro-government forces in the Aley region near the capital, a stronghold of the anti-Syrian Druse.

Beirut was quiet a day after Hezbollah gunmen left the streets, heeding an army call for the Shiite fighters to clear out.

The city suffered four days of Sunni-Shiite clashes that culminated with Hezbollah seizing large swaths of West Beirut.

Since Wednesday, 38 people have been killed---the worst sectarian violence since Lebanon's civil war in 1975.

The violence grew out of a power struggle between the Hezbollah-led opposition and the government. The opposition quit the Cabinet 18 months ago, demanding a veto over government decisions. The deadlock has kept parliament from electing a new president since last November.

Druse leader Walid Jumblatt called on his militiamen to give up their positions to the army. He also called for a halt to the fighting.

Walid Jumblatt said, "I have decided after consulting with Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, to delegate to Talal Erslan the matter of negotiating a ceasefire, so as to stop the bloodshed and destruction which has affected everyone."

Erslan, another Druse Leader whose Lebanese Democratic Party is allied with the pro-Syrian opposition, announced he would take over negotiating a ceasefire.

Talal Erslan, Druse Leader, said, "Mr. Walid Jumblatt and I have agreed - along with our brothers in the opposition, particularly my brothers and colleagues in Hezbollah - to hand over all areas in the mountain along with any weapons found to the Lebanese army."

Analysts say the violence improves chances for a breakthrough in the political crisis. They say the opposition now has the upper hand and that could force the government to compromise.