Ex-PM, Army Chief Hold Phone Talk over Tripoli Incidents

Former PM Najib Miqati on Tuesday held telephone talks with Army chief Maj. Gen. Joseph Aoun after the night clashes in the northern Tripoli between protesters and the Lebanese army, LBCI said.

The talks highlighted measures taken by the army to address the situation in the city.

Miqati said all feasible “measures must be taken to protect peaceful demonstrations, and the private and public property.”

Reports said Tuesday that one of the protesters injured during the clashes succumbed to his wounds.

Fierce confrontations erupted Monday evening in the northern city of Tripoli as angry anti-government protesters vandalized the facades of several banks and torched an army vehicle.

Some protesters torched an army vehicle, which prompted troops to fire in the air and throw tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Several people were injured in the clashes.

Hundreds of demonstrators also rallied outside the house of MP Faisal Karami in the city, where another confrontation with the army took place.

Anti-government protests have engulfed several parts of Lebanon since Sunday amid a crash in the Lebanese pound and a surge in food prices.