A car bomb in Beirut has killed former pro-Western ambassador to the United States and several other people. Mohammed Chattah served as ambassador to the United States from 1997 to 2000.

Beruit officials are still trying to determine who is responsible for the bomb, but so far no one has come forward. Beruit is in the middle of a civil war and is prone to violent attacks, but officials sat that this car bomb is the first to occur in the downtown area in several years.

Lebanon’s Sunni and Shiite communities have been at war for a while now and many believe that a Shiite military group and Lebanese political party Hezbollah might be behind the attack.

Investigators have determined that Chattah was the main target of the attack, but the bomb was not placed in his car. Instead, it was installed in a car parked along the route in which Chattah would be traveling. As Chattah’s car got close to the bomb car, the bomb was triggered with a remote control.

The bomb car was packed with 132 pounds of explosives. 5 other people were killed in the attack and over 70 were injured. Trees, other cars, buildings and structures were also damaged by the blast.

Chattah was on his way to a meeting when the attack occurred. Officials are calling the attack a politically-motivated assassination and are concerned that it could cause more fighting and re-ignite sectarian tensions in Lebanon.

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