Explainer: Amal Movement, who are they and what is their role in Beirut?
Amal means 'hope' and is the Arabic acronym for 'Lebanese Resistance Regiments'
As violence erupted in Beirut on Thursday and continues to escalate, names of groups are vaguely thrown around with at least their affiliations and purpose of involvement explained.
Barely highlighted in the coverage is the history and backgrounds of certain movements involved, their names adequately used but insufficiently explained.
The Amal Movement is one such case, a Lebanese political party affiliated with the Shi'a sect.
Founded in 1974, the movement began as an attempt to reform the Lebanese system, evolving into a military wing the following year.
Roots of the movement stress the equality between all Lebanese confessions and religions so that no one sect would remain "deprived."
Amal's practical objectives include gaining more respect as well as more government resources for Lebanon's Shiite population.
Lead by Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri since 1980, the Amal Movement gained traction after the South Lebanon conflict with Israel in 1978.
It became one of the most important Shi'a Muslim militias during the Lebanese Civil War until 1990.
Today, the Amal Movement is the largest Shi'a party in parliament by a small margin, with sixteen representatives to Hezbollah's thirteen.
Amal has an alliance with the Progressive Socialist Party, a Lebanese political party, as well as with the Shi'a Islamist political party and militant group Hezbollah.
On Thursday, gunfire killed several people and wounded 20 at a Beirut rally organized by the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal movements to demand the dismissal of the Beirut blast lead investigator, the state-run National News Agency said.
Watch live updates of developments in Beirut on the i24 News LIVEBLOG.