The skyline of Beirut, Lebanon (Creative Commons/Evan Bench)

A bomb in a Christian neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, killed at least eight people on Friday morning, injuring about 80.

According to The New York Times, the explosion occurred around 3 p.m. about two blocks away from a shopping center during rush hour and was caused either by a car bomb or a bomb hidden in a vehicle or in the street:

• Residents and politicians noted that the explosion took place in the same area where a bomb hit the headquarters of the Christian Phalange Party in 1982, assassinating its leader, Bashir Gemayel, just after he had been elected president.

Reuters reported that though the attack did not appear to target a specific political leader, there has been heightened tension between Lebanon's divided communities over the violence in neighboring Syria.

The bomb has also stirred unease in light of the 1975-1991 civil war that the city had endured.

Read the full story at The New York Times or Reuters.

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