BEIRUT, Lebanon - Long-simmering tensions between Lebanon's Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities are increasingly turning into violent street fights, often over small matters like the hanging of political posters or insults traded on the Internet — raising new fears of an Iraq-style sectarian outburst here.

So far, the violence has been largely limited to street fights with fists and sticks, occurring roughly every few weeks over the last several months. Security forces have quickly intervened in each case.

In the latest incident Monday night, dozens of Shiite rioters protesting electricity rationing blocked a major road in central Beirut and shouted anti-government slogans in a mixed Shiite-Sunni area, a move seen by the Sunni-led government majority as a provocation. The rioters set garbage containers ablaze and stoned some cars before troops dispersed them.

The mixed neighborhood of Basta recently was a stark example of how things can go more seriously wrong.

There on New Year's Eve and into the next day, Sunni and Shiite local men clashed with knives, sticks and stones. At least seven people were injured and several parked cars were damaged before troops, firing in the air, restored order. -AP