BEIRUT (AFP) -- A bomb has been found near the building of Future television, owned by the family of assassinated former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, the channel's editor-in-chief said.

"A small bomb in a plastic bag was found at dawn in front of the main gate of the television building" in central Beirut, Imad Assi told AFP.

"Explosives experts from the internal security forces were sent to the site, and later on military experts took the bomb away," he said, without describing it.

Assi recalled that Future television's news headquarters, in the seafront neighborhood of Rausheh, had been targeted by two rockets in 2003.

The television's management later issued a statement linking the incident to "the series of explosions that Lebanon has witnessed since the start of the terrorist attacks, with the October 2004 attempt on minister Marwan Hamadeh and the assassination of prime minister Rafiq Hariri" on February 14, 2005.

"This incident is a political-security message addressed to the (Future) institution, freedom of the press and democracy in Lebanon at a time the country is trying to establish political, economic and security stability.

"The management of Future television ... will continue its battle for Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and freedom," it added.

Hariri was killed in a massive Beirut car bomb attack widely blamed on Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies -- a claim denied by Damascus.

Since that murder and subsequent attacks on anti-Syrian figures, security measures have been beefed up at public institutions, media organizations, foreign diplomatic representations and the homes of leading politicians across the country.