Grenade Hurled at Bank Branch in Sidon

A hand grenade was hurled Saturday evening at a bank branch in the southern city of Sidon, the National News Agency said.

"Unknown individuals threw a hand grenade at Fransabank's branch on the city's Riad al-Solh Street, which smashed its glass facade and false ceiling," NNA said.

"Security forces arrived on the scene and launched an investigation to identify the perpetrators," the agency added.

There was no immediate comment from the bank late Saturday, a weekend in Lebanon.

The attack took place while the branch of the private bank was closed. NNA later reported that cameras in the area showed two people outside the bank at the time of the explosion. It didn't elaborate.

The attack came a day after Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Lebanese bank deposits had plunged $5.7 billion in the first two months of the year, despite curbs on withdrawals and a ban on transfers abroad.

Lebanon is grappling with a severe lack of liquidity and an acute economic crisis that has been compounded since mid-March by a lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus.

In recent months, the Lebanese pound, which has been pegged to the US dollar since 1997, has plummeted in value from around 1,500 pounds against the greenback to almost 3,800 on the parallel market.

Banks had gradually restricted dollar withdrawals until halting them altogether last month.

The country's dire economic situation has sparked street protests that first erupted in October last year, as well as several attacks on banks nationwide.