Sectarian tensions are rising in Beirut after a violent incident involving a Hezbollah-linked Lebanese Army force and a local Sunni businessman in the Sakiet el-Janzir neighborhood of western Beirut.
According to the report, Shiite residents from southern Lebanon and Dahiyeh who were displaced by the fighting have been renting homes or seeking shelter in the area, which is traditionally a Sunni-majority neighborhood with a large Christian minority.
The incident reportedly began after Hezbollah asked Mohammad el-Aytani, a local Sunni generator owner who sells electricity subscriptions, to give discounted rates to Shiite residents. El-Aytani refused, arguing that diesel prices are already extremely high and that he was not giving similar discounts to Sunni or Christian residents.
A Lebanese Army unit, allegedly commanded by a colonel linked to Hezbollah, then raided el-Aytani’s home. During the raid, el-Aytani was shot and wounded, and his brother was also injured.
