BEIRUT — Armed clashes in the Lebanese capital Wednesday between supporters of the Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition threatened this divided country’s fragile calm.
The fighting began with opponents of the government setting tires ablaze to block the capital’s main roads, notably those leading to the international airport where flights were suspended.
Protesters said they were answering a call by unions to oppose government policies aimed at fighting inflation, but the unions canceled a planned march because of the chaos.
Tensions quickly took a political and confessional character, with Sunni Muslim backers of the government and Shiite Muslim opposition supporters amassing in their respective neighborhoods and hurling stones at each other.
In mixed Shiite-Sunni districts, heavy gunfire erupted.There were no reported deaths but as many as a dozen injuries.
Lebanon’s sectarian and political tensions mirror a broader regional conflict. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia support the Sunni-led government, while Iran and Syria back the Shiite- led opposition.
Lebanon has been without a president since November amid an ongoing political deadlock between the two rival camps.
The latest surge in chaos began when pro-government politicians accused Hezbollah of spying on the airport to prepare for attacks and assassinations as well as for establishing a private telecommunications system. The Cabinet decided to remove the airport chief.
