A car bomb has exploded near a stronghold of the Shiite militant Hezbollah group in the Lebanon's east, causing a number of casualties, the Associated Press reports.

The bomb went off early on Tuesday, Dec 17, near the remote village of Sbouba in the Baalbek region.

Casualties were reported among citizens and ambulances were seen rushing to the area which was cordoned off, the National News Agency said.

There has been a wave of attacks recently on Hezbollah strongholds and interests in Lebanon. The group is fighting in Syria alongside President Bashar Assad's troops and has received threats of retaliation from the largely Sunni rebels fighting to topple him.