Lebanon's army said on Wednesday it detained 16 people during a third night of violence across the country, as tensions increased following more than 40 days of unprecedented protests.
Clashes erupted on Tuesday evening in Tripoli, the northern port city where protests have maintained momentum since anti-government demonstrations began on October 17.
On the outskirts of Beirut, clashes shook the neighbourhoods of Ain al-Remmaneh and Chiyah.
"Army units arrested 16 people following incidents that shook several areas of Lebanon," a statement read, adding that 51 troops were wounded.
In Tripoli, dozens of people were wounded when "dissenters" attacked banks, breaking windows and destroying money machines, the official ANI news agency reported.
They had previously tried to attack offices of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), a Christian party founded by President Michel Aoun, and the army fired in the air to disperse them, ANI said.
However, activists on social networks blamed thugs for "infiltrating" protests.
The army said 33 soldiers in Tripoli were wounded by stones and petrol bombs. A grenade hurled at soldiers failed to explode, the statement said.
South of Beirut, the military intervened to end clashes between inhabitants of the district of Ain al-Remmaneh and the suburb of Chiyah, local media reported.
Tensions regularly erupt in this area which saw the first clashes of the 1975-1990 civil war.
On Wednesday, a group of around 100 women marched from Ain al-Remmaneh to Chiyah to denounce the violence.
They chanted "No to civil war!" and "We are all united!" and were greeted by residents throwing flowers and rice from balconies.
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