Lebanese troops and gunmen exchanged fire in Beirut southern suburbs on Monday in an escalation of sectarian tensions after the Friday assassination of Brigadier General Wisam al-Hasan, the Sunni Intelligence Chief vocally opposed to the Syrian leadership and its Lebanese ally Hizbollah. Thousands attended Hasan’s funeral on Sunday in Beirut, where the event became a political rally against both Lebanese PM Najib al-Miqati and Syria, which opposition politicians blame for the assassination.