The Lebanese Armed Forces Command issued a statement whereby it said: “after a clash that erupted on Saturday afternoon in the region of al-Baddawi in Tripoli, between a group of protesters blocking the road and a number of citizens who attempted to pass the blocked road with their cars, an army unit intervened to end the clash when they were hit by rocks and firecrackers tossed by the protesters, injuring five soldiers.”
“Therefore, the army fired tear gas to disperse the citizens, but the clash escalated, which forced them to open fire in the air and with rubber bullets, leaving a number of citizens injured,” the statement added, noting that the army called in reinforcements to the region and restored calm.