Two dead after shootout in west Beirut

Security officials say troops stormed an apartment in west Beirut, killing a Syrian gunman who had engaged in an hours-long shootout with the security forces. The shootout came amid heightened tensions in Lebanon where deadly clashes linked to the conflict in neighbouring Syria have killed at least 10 people in the past two weeks. The officials say the gunman first shot at the troops on the street in Caracas neighborhood, then fled to his apartment, which the soldiers stormed early today. The body of another man was found in the apartment but it's unclear how he died. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Five soldiers and policemen were also wounded in the gunbattle which caused panic among residents in the area.