The Army Command stressed Friday it will “strike down with an iron fist” any side that attempts to harm it, noting that the Lebanese are counting on it to prevent the eruption of strife.

The Army Command stressed Friday it will “strike down with an iron fist” any side that attempts to harm it, noting that the Lebanese are counting on it to prevent the eruption of strife.

“The army will not tire in apprehending the sides that seek to destabilize the country, regardless of their affiliations,” the army’s statement said.

The statement came in light of ongoing tensions caused by demonstrations in support of the Syrian regime and another in support of the Syrian people that were staged on Sunday in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

“The army pledges before the Lebanese that it will not back down from its national mission,” it read.

On regional developments, the army statement said: “The Lebanese people look up to the army to protect the country against Israeli assaults and any attempts to create strife on the internal scene.”

It noted that the government’s decision to distance itself from the events in Syria “stems from its awareness of the great sectarian challenges that are beginning to emerge in the Arab world.”