At least three people have been killed and five others injured after armed men opened fire on Lebanese soldiers trying to break up a demonstration in the capital Beirut, according to witnesses and a security official.

The incident occurred on Sunday during a protest over power cuts in Beirut's southern suburbs.

One of those killed was Ali Hassan Hamza, a member of the opposition group, Amal.

"Three people were killed in the protests, including a member of Amal and a member of Hezbollah's health services," an Amal official told news agencies condition of anonymity.

Death confirmed

Sherine Tadros, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Beirut, said: "We spoke to [Hamza's] family. They were angry and they confirmed to us he was dead.

"The significance is that Ali Hamza was part of the police force of the Amal movement.

"This is a significant development. Amal was trying to play down the situation. They say the protesters were clashing, and then the Lebanese army [fired] shots into the air. The Amal spokesperson told us Ali Hamza was shot by accident."

A senior Amal official earlier denied that Hamza had been killed, saying he was seriously wounded after "he was hit by a bullet in his back".

"Hamza was not a demonstrator. He co-operated with the army on a regular basis whenever there were such similar protests in the region," he said.

Power protest

Officials say the shooting occurred after demonstrators set tires alight, blocking a main road in the southeast of Beirut in a protest over chronic power shortages.

The army fired warning shots to disperse the demonstrators, an official said.

Witnesses told the AFP news agency said some armed men in the crowd opened fire at security forces, who responded by firing at them.

Troops were seen taking positions on rooftops, one witness said.

Amal has called on its supporters to halt protests.

"We have no link to this action. We call on people not to react. We call on them to pull out of the streets," Ali Hassan Khalil, a senior Amal official told news agencies.

Dozens of demonstrators were on the streets on Sunday between the Chiyah and Mar Mikhael neighborhoods in southeast Beirut.

Some protesters were also emerging on the streets further south, witnesses said.

PHOTO CAPTION

Opposition protesters burn tires on the main road to Beirut's international airport, 27 January 2008