U.N.'s Ban urges restraint from all sides in Lebanon

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for restraint from all parties in Lebanon on Friday and expressed deep concern about the latest violence there, his spokeswoman said.

"Everything should be done at this time to keep the situation from deteriorating," spokeswoman Marie Okabe said, urging all sides to use peaceful means to solve their differences.

Ban "calls on all parties to exercise restraint," Okabe told a news conference at U.N. headquarters.

Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group took control of the Muslim half of Beirut on Friday, tightening its grip on the city in a major blow to the U.S.-backed government.

Security sources said at least 11 people had been killed and 30 wounded in three days of battles between pro-government gunmen and fighters loyal to Hezbollah, a Shi'ite political movement with a powerful guerrilla army.

(Reporting by Claudia Parsons; editing by Mohammad Zargham)