Wednesday, March 23 2005 11:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beirut: An Indian and a Pakistani were killed and three others injured early today (Mar 23, 2005) in an explosion, which destroyed a shopping centre near Lebanon's port of Jounie, north of Beirut, private television station LBCI reported quoting a security source.

It had earlier reported that three people had died in the explosion.

It said that those killed were an Indian and a Pakistani, while two Sri Lanka citizens and one Lebanese were injured.

Police confirmed that an explosion took place at 01:30 hrs local time today (05:00 hrs IST).

The cause of the explosion has not ye been determined.

The explosion took place in a shopping centre in Kaslik, near the port, which is located 20 kilometres north of Beirut in a mainly Christian area.

The explosion comes days after an overnight bomb blast late last Friday (Mar 18, 2005) wounded 11 people in Beirut.

The explosions come at a time of political friction in Lebanon between the pro-Syrian administration and the country's anti-Syrian opposition, which intensified after the February 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.