(BEIRUT) — Lebanese army units battled followers of a hard-line Sunni cleric holed up in a mosque complex in a southern port city on Monday, the second day of fighting that has left at least 16 soldiers dead, the military said. The clashes in Sidon, Lebanon's third-largest city some 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Beirut, are the latest bout of violence in Lebanon linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria. They are the bloodiest yet involving the army — at least two of those killed are officers. The Lebanese media has depicted the clashes as a test for the state in containing armed groups that have taken up the cause of the warring sides in Syria, whose sectarian makeup mirrors that of its smaller neighbor. The two days of fighting between troops and armed supporters of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir have transformed the city, which had been largely spared the violence plaguing border areas near Syria, into a combat zone. The National News Agency said the clashes also left fifty wounded. Hospital officials said at least three of al-Assir's supporters died in the fighting. The military in a statement said the gunmen were using the religious compound to fire on its troops and had taken civilians as shields. Machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenade explosions caused panic among residents of Sidon. Residents reported power and water outage. The city streets appeared largely deserted Monday. Local media reported many residents were asking for evacuation from the heavily populated neighborhood around the Bilal bin Rabbah Mosque where al-Assir preaches, and where the fighting has been concentrated. The local municipality said that the city is "a war zone," appealing for a cease-fire to evacuate the civilians and wounded in the area. Many people living on upper floors came down or fled to safer areas, while others were seen running away from fighting areas carrying children. Others remained locked up in their homes or shops, fearing getting caught in the crossfire. Gray smoke billowed over parts of the city. The military appealed to the gunmen(http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=world.time.com&blog=19871253&post=91516&subd=timeglobalspin&ref=&feed=1)
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