"This is an invasion by Hezbollah and a deployment of its weapons in the Lebanese street," Jouzou said of clashes that raged in the Saadiyat area south of Beirut on Sunday evening between Hezbollah gunmen and Sunni residents of the Kharroub Province.

"We are with Hezbollah when it fights Israel, but it is not permitted at all for Hezbollah to fight us in our neighborhoods and areas," Jouzou added.

"So long as Hezbollah has resorted to weapons, then let the state (government) allow us to carry weapons and arm our sons to enable them defend themselves," angry Jouzou said.

"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," he vowed.

Jouzou said: "We advise Hezbollah leaders to withdraw those gunmen … this is not accepted. Pull them so that we can safeguard Shiites at first."

"What happened in Saadiyat couple of days ago was a real combat. Buildings have been hired and gunmen have been deployed in them … this poses a direct threat to all of us," he added.

He accused Hezbollah of "erecting barriers between the Sunnis and Shiites, between Shiites and Shiites and between Sunnis and Sunnis."

Jouzou called for a "speedy treatment by the government of this issue by pulling Hezbollah-controlled gunmen out of the Kharroub Province … We would not allow those to reside in our region with their weapons." - Naharnet