BEIRUT: Heavy fighting brol(e out in and around Beirut today [Oct 29], imperilling a nineday-old ceasefire in Lebanon`s 18-month civil war. Leftists and right wing private armies traded night long grenade-throwing assaults and point-blanl( volleys of machinegun fire.

Each side claimed it blocked frequent penetration attempts mounted by tanks and armoured cars along the frontline.

The city shool( to thundering explosions of heavy rocl(ets as hospitals and militia sources reported more than 45 1(illed and 65 wounded in the ... clashes.

. A spokesman for a small Arab peacekeeping force said the outbreal( was a `serious setback that we are trying hard to contain before it undermines the whole Arab-sponsored peace plan to end the Lebanese conflict.` News agencies [Meanwhile, as reported from Rawalpindi,] Pal(istan and Saudi Arabia will examine some concrete proposals for bolstering Pakistan`s co-operation with ... Saudi Arabia, both in the fields of health and manpower.

This was stated by Federal Health Minister, Taj Mohammad Jamali, on the eve of his departure for Riyadh. ... [He told a news agency] that he was going to discuss ... setting up of joint Pakistan-Saudi medical institution.