Christian and Moslem guns were silent Friday, prompting Beirut residents to emerge from their shelters to buy supplies and inspect the damage from more than three weeks of bloody warfare that has left at least 176 people dead.
Police said Christian army units and Syrian-backed Moslem militiamen in and around Beirut refrained from fighting throughout the night and appeared to be giving an Arab League-sponsored cease-fire a second chance.Several shops and businesses opened early Friday and residents began clearing the streets of rubble from fighting that began March 13.
The Arab League cease-fire, which had been accepted by both sides, took effect Wednesday night. But it was shattered 12 hours later in a barrage of artillery and rocket fire that engulfed several areas of the capital and nearby districts.
Five people were wounded in Thursday's clashes. At least 176 people have been killed and 700 wounded since the latest fighting started last month.