clipped from: www.cnn.com BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Gunfire broke out in downtown Beirut on Thursday after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said recent government actions amount to "a declaration of open war."
There are reports of open street battles in at least one neighborhood. Video showed people throwing stones at each other, as Lebanese soldiers used tear gas to disperse the crowds.
The violence is limited to Beirut's Shiite and Sunni neighborhoods and has continued into the evening hours.
Shortly after Nasrallah's speech, CNN's Cal Perry reported from Sodeco Square in downtown Beirut during an intense gun battle.
"Just in the past few minutes ... things have gotten a lot worse," he said, taking cover with the Lebanese army. He said government forces have not reacted to the violence. 
Watch Perry call in through gunfire ยป
The Lebanese army, which is charged with trying to keep peace in the capital, is in a precarious position, Perry explained.