Shots fired at Hezbollah rally

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BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Lebanese security officials said two people were wounded by gunfire during a demonstration organized by Hezbollah in southern Beirut.

Thousands of people turned up in southern Beirut to attend a rally organized by Hezbollah. Security sources told The Daily Star newspaper that two people were hit by stray bullets during the demonstration.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah made a rare public appearance during the demonstration, organized in protest of a low-budget film produced in the United States that was deemed insulting to Islam.

Nasrallah said there would be "very, very, very dangerous repercussions" should the full version of the film "Innocence of Muslims" get broadcast. A short trailer of the film on the Internet sparked widespread anti-American demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for Lebanon ahead of the Hezbollah demonstrations. It warned that protests in Lebanon can turn violent with little or no warning.

Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, controls parts of Beirut and southern Lebanon. Nasrallah was sanctioned by the U.S. government last week for his support of Syria.