Hezbollah Says It Has 100,000 Troops, Won’t Be Drawn Into Civil War

  • Nasrallah warns rival Christian group ‘not to miscalculate’
  • Beirut clashes last week between Hezbollah, opponents killed 7

Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah is shown on a screen during a rally in Beirut on Aug. 19.

Photographer: Marwan Naamani/dpa/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah said the Iran-backed group won’t be dragged into a new civil war in Lebanon after sectarian violence flared in Beirut, and claimed to have 100,000 trained fighters ready to fend off foreign attacks.

In a televised speech late Monday, Nasrallah warned a rival Christian group “not to miscalculate” and start a fight, accusing it of being behind a “planned” deadly attack on Hezbollah supporters during a protest last week.