BEIRUT - Dozens of people, including military personnel, are being questioning over riots that left seven people dead in Beirut, prompting fears of civil war, military prosecutor Jean Fahd told AFP Thursday.

"I am still questioning people, both civilians and military, but no one has been formally arrested," Fahd said. He said 23 civilians had been detained as part of a probe "I expect to wrap up ... tomorrow or the day after. It’s a matter of days, not weeks."

Seven people, all of them Shiite Muslims, were killed by gunfire when protests Sunday over power cuts turned violent across most of Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Two of the victims were from the militant group Hezbollah and two more from Amal. The two groups form the backbone of Lebanon’s Syrian-backed opposition.

Hezbollah has urged the army to swiftly bring to justice those responsible for the bloodshed, saying it was the only way to contain public anger. Other opposition figures have squarely blamed the army for the shooting.

Army chief General Michel Sleiman promised a transparent investigation during condolence visits to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Amal leader Nabih Berri.

Sleiman is a presidential frontrunner in Lebanon, which has been without a head of state since November 24 amid bickering between the opposition and the Western-backed ruling majority.

Many analysts say the riots have strained the army’s ties with Hezbollah and undermined Sleiman’s chances to be elected as the country’s next president  -AFP