4 Killed In Lebanon Courtroom

Gunmen opened fire in a Lebanon courtroom Tuesday, killing three judges and the prosecutor, security officials and witnesses said. Five others were wounded.

At least two gunmen shot into the courtroom through the windows before retreating toward the beach, leaving behind two AK-47 assault rifles and a grenade launcher, said officials who spoke on customary condition of anonymity. About 30 empty cartridges were found at the scene.

Police and army troops stationed in the city rushed to the courthouse and a chase ensued near the central square of Sidon, the provincial capital of southern Lebanon about 25 miles south of Beirut.

Two dozen people were briefly rounded up for questioning, but the unidentified assailants remained at-large several hours after the attack.

The shooting occurred as the criminal court was hearing a series of cases, including one on currency forgery. The motive for the attack was not immediately known.

Presiding Judge Hassan Othman, a prosecutor and two other judges were killed. A lawyer, the court clerk, two policemen and a relative of one of the people being tried were injured and taken to a Sidon hospital. The lawyer was reported to be in critical condition.

Prime Minister Salim Hoss, speaking to reporters in Beirut, described the shooting as a "terrible crime," adding that "justice will reach the perpetrators and deal them the punishment they deserve."