By Simon Tomlinson PUBLISHED: 07:44 EST, 27 December 2013 | UPDATED: 10:53 EST, 27 December 2013 A huge car bomb rocked central Beirut today, killing six people including a prominent pro-Western politician opposed to the Syrian regime. State news agency NNA said that Mohammad Chatah, 62, died as he headed to a meeting of the March 14 coalition at the mansion of ex-prime minister Saad Hariri in the city centre. An hour before he was killed, Chatah, a Sunni figure, had tweeted a message slamming Hezbollah. 'Hezbollah is pressing hard to be granted similar powers in security & foreign policy matters that Syria exercised in Lebanon for 15 years,' he said in reference to Syria's nearly 30-year military and political hegemony in Lebanon that ended after ex-premier Rafiq Hariri's murder in 2005.
@highlight
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
@highlight
Mohammad Chatah, 62, among five killed as he headed to meeting of March 14 coalition despised by Hezbollah
@highlight
Blast also injured more than 50 others, lefts cars ablaze and damaged buildings as smoke billowed across city
@highlight
Ex Lebanese prime minister accuses Shiite movement of involvement saying it was 'new message of terrorism'
@highlight
Foreign Secretary William Hague tweeted his sympathy to families of the victims, adding that it was 'sad news'
Anti-Assad: Ex Lebanese minister @placeholder (left) was killed in the blast which injured this man (right) seen walking past a Lebanese civil defence ambulance