Lebanese troops, deployed in the northern city of Tripoli early Sunday morning, took up positions around major government offices after a night of protests and riots that wounded several protesters and 10 soldiers, Associated Press reported.

The protests were triggered by the exacerbation of the 20-month economic crisis in the country. The World Bank has described the crisis as one of the worst in the world over the past 150 years. This is due to the political impasse that has left Lebanon without a government since August.

The army said rioters on motorcycles threw stun grenades at troops in Tripoli, injuring nine soldiers and one more being hit by a stone. Protesters attacked several government offices in the city.

Lebanon suffers from acute shortages of essential supplies, including fuel and medicines, which are causing public outrage. The Lebanese currency hit a record low on Saturday, hitting 18,000 pounds per US dollar. The pound has lost more than 90% of its value since the beginning of the crisis.

In October 2019, protesters called for the elimination of the political class that ruled the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war and was accused of corruption and mismanagement that destroyed the country's economy.