'Boiling again': Lebanon's old Christian rivalries rear up amid crisis

A statue of Lebanese president Michel Aoun is seen at the entrance of Free Patriotic movement's headquarters in Sin-el-fil, Lebanon September 15, 2020. REUTERS/Ellen Francis

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An old rivalry between Christian factions who fought each other in Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war has flared again on the street and in political debate, renewing fears of fresh unrest as the nation grapples with its worst crisis since the conflict.

Never far from the surface in the past three decades, the feud between supporters of Michel Aoun, now Lebanon's president, and Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces (LF) led to a tense standoff this week near Beirut. Gunshots rang out, but no one was hurt.