Two killed in Lebanon clash involving relatives of US Marine

The clash took place Thursday in Lebanon's main northern city of Tripoli, hometown of marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun who had been feared beheaded by Islamist hostage-takers in Iraq.

The security sources identified the casualties as members of the Halkuni clan, whom they said had a longrunning vendetta with the Hassouns.

But news reports cited by the New York Times said the clashes involved close relatives of Hassoun and members of his wider clan who accused them of being US collaborators because they had emigrated to the United States and he signed up for the marines.