14 soldiers injured in clashes with Lebanese protesters

BEIRUT

Lebanon's army on Friday announced that at least 14 soldiers were injured by stone-throwing protesters in Tripoli, northern Lebanon.

According to a statement by the Army Command-Orientation Directorate, quoted by the Lebanese official news agency: "A number of young men Thursday cut the public road in the Beddaoui area with cement stones, and immediately units were deployed in the area which intervened to open the road."

It added: "Eight people were arrested for committing riots and causing injuries to the military while blocking roads."

On Friday, Beirut witnessed a demonstration in front of the capital’s municipality building against "widespread waste and corruption."

Army and security forces were deployed in the vicinity to prevent any confrontation.

Lebanon suffers from high unemployment, slow growth, and one of the highest debt ratios in the world, with a debt burden reaching $86.2 billion in the first quarter of 2019, according to the Finance Ministry.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara