Violence has erupted in the Lebanese capital Beirut as those on both sides of the Syrian conflict exchanged gunfire.

The clashes come a week after 25 people were killed in fighting in the northern city of Tripoli between supporters of the Syrian rebels and those that back the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The people caught in the crossfire want nothing to do with the carnage: “We are the people of this area there are no Salafists or anything, we live here, some belong to the ‘Future Movement’, it’s a mix. We are sick of the thugs. We have had enough! We call on the army and the president to solve this. We lost someone today who has nothing to do with this,” said one furious resident.

The Lebanese army has been quick to respond with troops and armoured personnel carriers deployed to the suburb.

The fighting has since calmed. The war in Syria, which shows no sign of ending, is exacerbating tensions in Lebanon and other neighbouring countries.