Sectarian Clashes in West Beirut Kill 1

Lebanese supporters of Hezbollah and their allies from pro-Syrian parties wave Lebanese flags and hold a poster showing Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah in the open-ended sit-in in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday Dec. 3, 2006. Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, emboldened by Arab and international support for his U.S.-backed government, vowed on Sunday to stay in office despite Hezbollah protests that aim to pressure him into resigning. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Tawil) (Mahmoud Tawil - AP)

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Violent clashes broke out Sunday between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the capital, leaving one man dead from gunshot wounds and 21 others injured at a time when tensions throughout Lebanon threaten the country's fragile sectarian and political balance.

Tension has been running high in Lebanon, particularly since Friday when Hezbollah supporters began an open-ended sit-in in Beirut in an effort to bring down the government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.

Saniora, emboldened by Arab and international support for his U.S.-backed government, vowed on Sunday to stay in office despite the ongoing protests.

Amid the sound of revolutionary and nationalist songs blaring from protesters' tents set up in the heart of Beirut, a Mass was held at Saniora's office in memory of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, who was assassinated by gunmen in a Beirut suburb last month.

The service appeared to be a show of solidarity with the government, which draws its support largely from Sunni Muslims and Christians who oppose involvement in the country's affairs by neighboring Syria.

A few yards away, a rival Mass organized by supporters of Michel Aoun, a Christian leader allied with the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, was held at the St. George Cathedral.

The clash in Tarik Jdideh occurred as a group of Hezbollah supporters were returning from Beirut's downtown and passed through the Sunni neighborhood.

Police officials said the two sides threw stones at each other, then shots were fired, killing Ahmed Ali Mahmoud, a 20-year-old Shiite. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the press.

At least 21 people were injured in similar clashes in Beirut, police officials said.

Hezbollah, an ally of Syria that is backed by many Shiite Muslims and some Christians, contends the fight is against American _ not Syrian _ influence, saying the United States now dominates Lebanon in the interests of Israel.

Saniora warned that any attempts by Hezbollah's supporters to storm his office, ringed by hundreds of police and soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles, would lead to "a major and serious problem." The prime minister, a Sunni, appeared to be cautioning against the possibility of open fighting between Sunnis and Shiites.

Addressing the flag-waving protesters in central Beirut, pro-Hezbollah speakers vowed to continue the campaign to remove Saniora from power.