Lebanon is observing a day of national mourning as it buries an anti-Syrian member of parliament killed in a bomb attack in Beirut.

Walid Eido was among at least 10 people killed in Wednesday's bombing in the city's mainly Muslim Manara district.

He is the sixth leading anti-Syrian figure to be killed since 2005.

Banks, businesses and schools stayed shut as Lebanon prepared to bury Mr Eido, whose murder drew broad international condemnation.

Mr Eido is being buried in Beirut, less than 24 hours after his death.

The leader of parliament's anti-Syrian group, Saad Hariri, called on Lebanese to turn out en masse for the funeral.

'Fomenting instability'

In a statement, the White House said there had been a "clear pattern of assassinations" of those opposed to Syrian interference in Lebanon's affairs.

"Those working for a sovereign and democratic Lebanon have always been the ones targeted," US President George W Bush said.

"The victims have always been those who sought an end to Syrian President [Bashar al-] Assad's interference in Lebanon's internal affairs."

Mr Bush said that the US would continue to support Lebanon but added that "efforts by Damascus and Tehran to foment instability in Lebanon must stop now".

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described the attack as unacceptable.

After the resignation last week of another coalition member, Mr Eido's death leaves the anti-Syrian bloc with a slim majority of just three members in parliament.

Wednesday's blast was the sixth explosion in four weeks in Lebanon. Two people were killed in the previous blast.

Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh blamed Syria for the latest attack, saying it was trying to wipe out the anti-Syrian majority in parliament.

"It is the same serial killer who wants to liquidate the parliamentary majority; it is a physical liquidation by the Syrian regime," Mr Hamadeh told the AFP news agency.

The latest blast comes two weeks after the UN Security Council voted to set up a tribunal to try suspects in the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, killed in a car bombing in Beirut two years ago.

Damascus denied any role in that attack.

PHOTO CAPTION

Walid Eido