sectarian conflict

Sectarian conflict is violence or hostility between groups divided along religious, ethnic, or political lines—particularly factions within a larger faith or community.

The term often describes fighting between Sunni and Shia Muslims, Protestants and Catholics, or similar divisions where identity and belief intertwine: Sectarian conflict has plagued the region for decades.

The modifier sectarian emphasizes that the conflict stems from group allegiance rather than territorial or economic disputes alone.