Several people were injured Friday in a clash between Hizbullah supporters and protesters who were blocking the Jiye road, prompting the army’s intervention, media reports said.
An-Nahar newspaper said knives and rocks were used in the clash.
LBCI TV said the clash first started between a young man who hails from Barja and young men from Jiye described as Hizbullah supporters.
Earlier in the day, heavy gunfire was heard in the Khalde area during the blocking of roads there. The National News Agency reported that the army was encircling the region.
The Mustaqbal Web news portal, citing a social media video, said gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire towards Sheikh Omar Ghosn and his sons, who have influence in the Khalde area.
The video purportedly shows one of the shooters in the army’s custody after he was captured by men from the area. His bloodied face and hand suggest that he was beaten up. Asked by the men about where he hails from, the young man answers Baalbek.
It was not immediately clear whether the incident was linked to the road-blocking protests in the area.
Separately, two people were injured when the army intervened to reopen Sidon’s seaside road after it was blocked by protesters.
Protesters meanwhile blocked highways and road in Jal el-Dib, Zouk, Jounieh, al-Saadiyat, Naameh, Mazraat Yachouh, Beirut’s Martyrs Square, Salim Salam, Jarmaq, Jdita, Deir Zannoun, Tripoli’s al-Nour Square, the Kuwaiti embassy intersection, the Cola roundabout, Riyaq, al-Beddawi, Ksara, Kfartebnit, Palma, Aramoun, Saadnayel and Ferzol.