Syrian rebels kidnapped 12 Lebanese Shiite men Tuesday in northern Syria, security officials have stated. The report has sparked protests in Beirut's southern suburbs to demand their release.

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AP - Syrian rebels kidnapped 12 Lebanese Shiites in northern Syria on Tuesday, adding to fears that Lebanon is getting drawn into the chaos next door, security officials said.

The victims were on their way home from a religious pilgrimage in Iraq when rebels intercepted their vehicles in Syria's Aleppo province, according to the officials, who asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Some Lebanese took to the streets of Beirut's Shiite area and burned tires to protest the abductions. The leader of Hezbollah, Lebanon's powerful Shiite militant group and a strong ally of Syria, was expected to give a speech within hours.

The kidnappings come at a time of high tension in Lebanon over the 15-month-old conflict in Syria. Lebanon navigates a fragile fault line over Syria, which had troops on the ground in Lebanon for nearly 30 years until 2005 and still has strong ties to Lebanon's security services.

The countries share a complex web of political and sectarian ties and rivalries, which can quickly turn violent.

On Sunday, an anti-Syrian cleric was killed in northern Lebanon, setting off a night of deadly street battles in Beirut. It was some of the worst fighting in the Lebanese capital in four years. At least two people were killed and 15 wounded.

Sunnis form the backbone of the Syrian uprising, which has unleashed seething sectarian tensions.

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