BEIRUT, Jan 26 (NNN-KUNA) -- Lebanon's Hezbollah, Speaker Nabih Berri and the leader of the Future Movement Saad Al-Hariri have called for self-restraint on the part of their followers urging them to evacuate the streets following clashes Thursday.

The call followed bloody street clashes between loyalists to the government and its opponents on the outskirts of the Arab University, which is located towards the east from downtown Beirut.

The clashes occurred in the presence of hundreds of Lebanese soldiers who did their best to contain the clashes at first but lost control of the situation when the riots worsened.

Up to four people are said to have lost their lives in the renewed clashes along with a large number of injuries of all kinds, unconfirmed reports said.

Meanwhile, black smoke billowed from burning tyres and other small and large fires that were deliberately lit by the mob around the Arab University neighbourhood.

-- NNN-KUNA