From The Hindu Archives, March 23, 1976: Heavy fighting in Beirut’s streets

Beirut, March 22: Lebanon’s war-scarred capital exploded in its worst-ever violence to-day as rival forces battled with shells, mortars, and gunfire over demands for the resignation of President Franjieh. The hardpressed Head of State called an emergency cabinet meeting.

It was the fiercest outburst of fighting in Beirut in 11 months of murderous civil conflict in which more than 10,000 people have died.

The clashes between the President’s supporters and those who want him to go raged all night, with heavy weapons taken over from the fragmented Lebanese Army. People fled in terror from the streets.

Rival left-wing Nasserite and right-wing Phalangist radio stations disputed which side was in possession of the battered Holiday Inn hotel, a strategic and psychological strongpoint near the seafront.

The Nasserites said they had carried the battle several hundred metres further east to Phalangist territory. But the right-wing radio said its gunmen had recaptured the Holiday Inn.

The situation was so dangerous that a military command council set up last night by the General who staged an anti-Franjieh revolt on March 11 was unable to meet.

General Aziz al-Ahdab, who is still Beirut garrison commander, but had so far failed to unseat the President, set up the command last night to “co-ordinate expected military operations should a political situation fail”.

The pro-Ahdab radio said to-day the first aim of the council was to restore cohesion to the army, bringing together left-wing deserters and the official Army Command.