The city that was engulfed for most of the 1980s by civil war, then by a series of bombings and assassinations, has been shattered once again, and the streets rife with fear.

People in Beirut are now pointing their attention toward the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Anti-Syrian politicians accuse Damascus of being behind the powerful car bomb that killed the head of the country’s internal intelligence service.

Today, Saturday, was declared a day of mourning.  Internal Security Forces (ISF) intelligence chief General Wissam al-Hassan is to be buried on Sunday alongside former premier Rafiq Hariri, murdered in a car bombing seven years ago. In the meantime, Lebanon’s cabinet met in an emergency session, as scattered protests erupted around the country.

The government in Damascus and its allies in Lebanon have condemned the bombing. However, few people are inclined to believe the denials of a government that has long interfered with the social and political control of its neighbour, assumed Wyre Davies as BBC news reports on the events.

Less than 24 hours after the Ashrafiya bomb there were already rumours that Prime Minister Najib Mikati would resign; however, people urged him to stay arguing that high-level resignations and political turmoil in Lebanon are precisely the aim of whoever killed General al-Hassan, and at least seven others on Friday afternoon.

One of General al-Hassan’s most high-profile recent moves was the uncovering of an alleged plot that led to the arrest of former minister Michel Samaha. He was detained on charges of collaborating with members of the Syrian government to import explosives and launch attacks in Lebanon. Although historical precedents justify some of the accusations of Syrian involvement, it is still too early to say who was responsible for the attack.

Nevertheless, even if people in Lebanon have absolutely no desire to return to inter-factional violence, an attack of this nature was perhaps to be expected. Syria’s brutal civil unrest is already being played out on the streets of Tripoli, the northern Lebanese city where pro-Syrian (Alawite) and Sunni anti-Assad factions have fought gun battles on at least two occasions this year.

Nadim Gemayel, an MP from the right-wing Christian Phalange Party, also pointed to Syria: “This regime, which is crumbling, is trying to export its conflict to Lebanon,” he said.

As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calls on the  “Lebanese parties not to be provoked” by this terrorist act; and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton asked the “Lebanese to remain calm”.  The factional, sectarian strife everybody hoped to be a thing of the past might re-emerge. Hopefully, Beirut will hold storng,  dust itself down and return to its normal life.