Syria on Monday denounced an earlier blast in the Lebanese capital of Beirut which killed anti- Syrian Christian parliament member Gebran Tueni, denying any role in the attack.

"Syria denounces this act strongly regardless of who was being targeted, and regardless of any differences in political points of view," Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlullah told the state television.

He dismissed what Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on the al-Jazeera television, who accused Syria of masterminding the killing of Tueni.

Jumblatt, also a MP, said that he believed Tueni was killed because he was "the voice of freedom" in Lebanon, like slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a massive car bombing in central Beirut on Feb. 14.

"We became accustomed to some Lebanese figures rushing before even knowing the story to make statements that implicate Syria, especially with this timing, just to accuse Syria," Dakhlullah said.

The minister hinted that arch-foe Israel might play a role.

"You should never forget that there are agents for Israel in Lebanon, and this is not a secret," he said, noting that enemies of Lebanon were always attempting to threaten its stability and national unity.

The official SANA news agency earlier quoted an Information Ministry source as saying that the blast was to damage reputation of Damascus.

"Those who timed this explosion today want to aggravate the situation against Syria on the eve of offering Mehlis report to the UN Security Council, particularly that the truth about Syria's innocence is about to become clear," the source said.

A final UN report by chief investigator Detlev Mehlis on the killing of Hariri is expected to be released soon.

Syria is facing mounting international pressure over its alleged role in the assassination of Hariri and an interim UN report in October on the probe implicated top Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the killing.

Syria has rejected the charge as politically motivated.

Source: Xinhua