Lebanese army commander General Jean Kahwaji said Tuesday that the army has deployed in the region of Ba’l Mohsen of the Lebanese city of Tripoli, including the Riga building.

Lebanese army commander General Jean Kahwaji said Tuesday that the army has deployed in the region of Ba’l Mohsen of the Lebanese city of Tripoli, including the Riga building.

Speaking to Al-Akhbar local daily, Kahwaji said that “all matters will be settled and normal conditions will return gradually.”

“The army entered the areas of the clashes since they erupted, but soldiers were fired on. We want to protect the military That is why we wanted to wait so everyone understands the seriousness of the situation and what can happen if the army does not intervene,” he said.

“When we were sure that all (leaders) want the army to enter and that the military will be safe from being fired upon, we made the decision to deploy,” Kahwaji told Al-Akhbar.

He also said that the army began deploying in Tripoli’s Jabal Mohsen, adding that army forces entered the city's Al-Baqar neighborhood.

“The army will finish deploying by the morning, and it will also [enter] Bab al-Tebbaneh.”

Deadly clashes broke out on Saturday between extremists and the army as young demonstrators tried to approach the offices of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

Afterward, 100 young men blocked the northern and southern roads into Tripoli.

The ensuing clashes have left eight people dead, including five on Monday, and nearly 50 wounded, prompting many people to flee the two rival neighborhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tebbaneh.