Several people were wounded in clashes with the Lebanese army near the northern city of Tripoli on Saturday, following ten days of generally peaceful anti-government protests. A video released on Saturday shows demonstrators on the street some 100 yards away from soldiers, when gunfire starts.
Lebanon’s Red Cross Tweeted that three wounded protesters had been hospitalized.
The Lebanese Army announced in a statement that it had clashed with demonstrators who were trying to drive through a blocked road. They threw stones and firecrackers at the soldiers who were “forced to shoot” and used tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring a number of people.
The army said it brought in reinforcements and initiated an investigation, adding that five soldiers were also injured in the incident.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri, President Michel Aoun, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah have called for the reopening of the country’s roads.