Red Cross personnel carry the corpse of Lebanese journalist Samir Qassir on a strecher following an explosion in Beirut, Thursday, June 2, 2005. Qassir was killed Thursday in an explosion in the mainly Christian eastern area in Beirut, witnesses said. (Xinhua/AFP photo)

(Xinhua/AFP photo)

This undated photo released by Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper shows Lebanese journalist Samir Qassir, who was killed in a car explosion in Beirut Thursday. (Xinhua/AFP file photo)

Lebanese women hold candles at the site of the bomb explosion in which opposition journalist Samir Kassir was killed in Beirut.  (Xinhua/AFP photo)

   BEIRUT, June 2 (Xinhuanet) -- A prominent anti-Syrian journalist was killed Thursday in an explosion in the mainly Christian eastern area in Beirut, witnesses said.

    It is not immediately clear what caused the blast.

    The dead man was identified as Samir Qaseer, who is a front page columnist at Lebanon's leading daily An-Nahar. He has for years called for an end to Syria's role in Lebanona.

    Security sources said the journalist died instantly in the blast outside his home in the Ashrafiyeh neighborhood, adding a woman was wounded.

    The blast came just four days after the start of the country's parliamentary elections in four Sundays between May 29 and June 19.    Enditem

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