The Lebanese army said yesterday that 79 of its soldiers were injured the previous day in violent protests against the country’s economic problems.
Despite a coronavirus lockdown, nationwide protests erupted on Tuesday in Lebanon against the deteriorating economic situation and the devaluation of the local currency.
Violence flared up on Tuesday following the funeral of Fawaz Samman, a 26-year-old man who died of wounds he had sustained in clashes between protesters and the army in Tripoli on Monday night.
Fifty of the injured soldiers were wounded in riots in Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli, the army said in a statement. 
The other 25 were injured in clashes in Beirut and on a highway linking the capital with southern Lebanon. The army added that 19 people were arrested in Tripoli for throwing fireworks and stones at soldiers and torching banks.
One more person was arrested in Tripoli for allegedly firing live bullets at protesters and wounding a demonstrator, according to the statement.
Hospital sources in Tripoli said around 20 protesters had been injured during the violence in the city.
The Arab League yesterday warned that the situation in Lebanon is very critical.
“The rapid developments on the Lebanese scene and the dangerous escalation witnessed on the Lebanese street between the demonstrators and the Lebanese army, particularly in Tripoli, are developments that cause concern and worry,” the bloc’s Assistant Secretary-General Hussam Zaki said in a statement.
“Hopes are particularly pinned on the command of the army and security agencies to act professionally and responsibly to prevent the country from sliding into the unknown,” he added.
Lebanon is experiencing its worst economic crisis since the civil war of 1975-90, prompting banks to impose restrictions on the local pound and dollar withdrawals.
The Lebanese pound has so far lost more than 60% of its value, prompting a spike in food prices in the country.
Last week, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab criticised the country’s central bank policies, saying there are gaps in its performance, strategies, and monetary policy.
Yesterday, the central bank governor, Riad Salameh, rejected Diab’s criticism and said people’s deposits in banks are safe.
Salameh, who has been in the post since 1993, said there is no covert spending by the central bank.
He added that the central bank’s foreign currency reserves currently stand at $22.8bn, which are needed to buy basic imports.
Salameh dismissed claims that the bank’s policies are to blame for the sharp decline in the value of the Lebanese pound against the dollar on the informal market.
Salameh insisted in a televised address that the bank has used all its tools to stabilise the local pound.
Foreign exchange shops across Beirut have been selling the dollar for between 3,800 and 4,000 pounds, a drop that is expected to further deepen economic woes in the country.
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