BERLIN - Germany, which holds the European Union presidency, strongly condemned Tuesday's bombing of two buses in Lebanon and called on all in the country to help prevent the situation from escalating.

Germany "calls upon all sides in Lebanon to take a determined stand against violence and to do everything they can to prevent the situation from escalating," an EU presidency statement said.

"The political crisis in Lebanon can only be resolved through dialogue while ensuring that democratic processes are observed and the country's democratically legitimated institutions are respected," it added.

In a statement issued Tuesday by the German government, the EU condemns "in the strongest possible terms" the targeted attacks on two buses in Lebanon, which today claimed several lives, and left many injured.

In the statement, the Presidency offers its "heartfelt condolences to the victims' families and good wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured." In the statement, the European Union calls upon all sides in Lebanon "to take a determined stand against violence and to do everything they can to prevent the situation from escalating." It added that the political crisis in Lebanon could only be resolved through dialogue while ensuring that democratic processes are being observed and the country's democratically legitimated institutions are being respected.

Explosions in Lebanon have hit two buses near the Christian mountain town of Bikfaya, north of Beirut earlier today.

At least three people were reported to have been killed and 20 others injured. The attacks have happened one day before the second anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed along with 20 others in a massive Beirut bomb blast in February 2005.