Lebanon’s army on Saturday attempted to restore order after four days of heavy sectarian and factional fighting, during which the opposition Shia Hizbollah movement seized control over most Sunni Muslim neighbourhoods of the capital Beirut.

Hizbollah and its allies said they had started withdrawing their fighters from Beirut. But Saturday nevertheless saw some of the most serious fighting in terms of casualties, with some 20 people reported dead in clashes in the capital and other parts of the country.