BEIRUT, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Fierce clashes erupted in the town of Taalabaya in Lebanon's Bekaa valley on Tuesday when gunmen opened fire from overlooking hills on a funeral procession for a Sunni victim who was shot dead earlier, local As-Safir daily reported Wednesday.

    The victim Abdallah al-Adawi was a member of Sunni Future movement headed by majority leader MP Saad Hariri.

    The Tuesday clashes blocked traffic along the highway connecting the pre-dominantly Shiite village of Taalabaya and Sunni village of Saadnayel, said the report, giving no more details about the clashes.

    The clashes took place while Lebanese rival political leaders were meeting at the presidential palace for national dialogue.

    In June, more than three people died in clashes between Shiite supporter of Hezbollah and Sunni supporters of Future Movement in Taalabya and the neighboring village of Saadnayel.