Protesters in Lebanon targeted by Hezbollah backers

BEIRUT — Increasingly violent clashes between Lebanese protesters and supporters of the militant Hezbollah group are putting Lebanon’s military and security forces in a delicate position, threatening to crack open the country’s dangerous fault lines amid a political deadlock.

For weeks, the Lebanese security forces have gone to great pains to protect anti-government protesters, in stark contrast to Iraq, where police have killed more than 340 people over the past month in a bloody response to similar protests.

Violent clashes that began Sunday and continued until early Monday — some of the worst since protests against the country’s ruling elite began last month — gave a preview into a worst-case scenario for Lebanon’s crisis, with Lebanon’s U.S.-trained military increasingly in the middle between pro- and anti-Hezbollah factions.

By attacking the protesters, Hezbollah sent a frightening message that it is willing to resort to force to protect its political power, increasing the likelihood of more violence if the protests persist. Confronting the powerful Iranian-backed Shiite Hezbollah, however, is out of the question for the military — doing so would wreck the neutral position it seeks to maintain and could split its ranks disastrously.

“The army is in a difficult position facing multiple challenges and moving cautiously between the lines,” said Fadia Kiwan, professor of political science at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. She said the military has sought to protect the protesters and freedom of expression but is increasingly grappling with how to deal with road closures and violence.

The night’s clashes brought into full display the ugly political and sectarian divisions that protesters have said they want to put an end to.

“Shiite, Shiite, Shiite!” Hezbollah supporters waving the...