A militant group issued a rare apology Saturday for a twin suicide bombing in Beirut that killed eight people and wounded dozens, including children from a nearby orphanage.

The al Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades issued the statement on militant websites apologizing for civilian deaths.

It said a "technical fault" affected the second of two Feb. 19 suicide bombings targeting an Iranian cultural centre in Beirut, but didn't specify what it was. The group insisted its suicide bombers were trained to not target civilians. "We affirm, always to our suicide bombers, to be cautious, and to abort any operation if they believe it will hit others but the targeted," it said. [Link]