Explosion in Beirut near army checkpoint

A powerful car bomb explosion rocked a neighbourhood south of Lebanon's capital early today, causing several casualties, a Lebanese security official and witnesses said.

The explosion occurred just after midnight near a checkpoint and the Abu Assaf cafe, where people had gathered to watch World Cup matches. An Associated Press reporter on the scene said he saw at least two wounded people.

The official said the explosion appears to have been caused by a suicide car bomb attacker and said at least five people were wounded. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

It was the second explosion in a week and comes amid mounting regional tensions over the dramatic events in nearby Iraq, where the al-Qaida splinter group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has seized large chunks of territory in the country's north and west.

On Friday, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car near a police checkpoint in eastern Lebanon, killing a policeman and wounding several other people.

The bombings sparked fears of renewed violence in a country which has been buffeted by the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

Syria's civil war has spilled into neighbouring Lebanon on multiple occasions and inflamed sectarian tensions. A series of car bombs have struck Shiite areas across Lebanon, killing dozens of people.

The last explosion to hit Lebanon occurred on March 29, when a suicide bomber in an explosives-laden car targeted a Lebanese army checkpoint near the Syrian border, killing three people.

Hard-line Sunni groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks against Shiites, saying they are meant to punish the Lebanese Hezbollah movement for fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops.

After Friday's bombing, troops began enforcing strict measures at all entrances to Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, setting up checkpoints and searching cars.

Security forces also deployed at all the entrances to Beirut, preventing trucks from entering the Lebanese capital for fear of more bombings.

The Lebanese are deeply divided over the civil war in Syria, with Sunnis largely backing the insurgency and Shiites siding with Assad.