Hezbollah, protesters clash in Lebanon with 1 man killed

One man is dead and several others wounded after Hezbollah militia members opened fire on an unarmed group of protesters outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut on Sunday.

According to Reuters, the men dressed in black with yellow arm-bands drew their weapons when the demonstrators arrived in Lebanon’s capital.

They were there marching against Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian civil war, which promises to get uglier with militant group’s participation.

The Lebanese army responded by deploying tanks and erecting barriers across the city. The dead man, Hashem Salman, was a member of the Intima party.

Hezbollah helped Syrian government troops retake the strategic border town of Qusayr last week, touching off tensions in Lebanon.

Sunni Muslims in Lebanon are sympathetic to rebels trying to topple President Bashar Assad’s authoritarian rule in Syria.

More from GlobalPost: Why is Qusayr so important?

The Sunday demonstration, however, also included Christians and Shia Muslims opposed to Hezbollah, Reuters said.

They told The Associated Press that Hezbollah doesn’t represent Lebanese or Syrian interests.

“Those fighting in Syria are not Lebanese. Their culture, their flag, money and weapons are Iranians,” Saleh el-Mashnouk said, according to the AP. “We are here to wipe the shame that hit Lebanon because of them.”

Lebanon is nearly completely surrounded by Syria.

While Hezbollah fighters have crossed into Syria, rebels from that country have returned fire across the border, BBC said.

Lebanon is also home to thousands of Syrian refugees.

More from GlobalPost: As Western choices narrow in Syria, diplomacy remains critical