Hizbullah on Monday described as a “terrorist crime” the car crash that resulted in the death of two citizens near a protest roadblock on Jiye’s highway.

“The horrible crime resulted from militia-like attacks by groups of bandits who are practicing the ugliest forms of humiliation and terrorism against innocent civilians commuting on roads,” Hizbullah’s media department said in a statement.

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis on Monday urged Lebanon’s political parties to “control their supporters” and refrain from exploiting the protests that have been sweeping the country since October 17.

“The attack of last night of groups under Hizbullah & Amal flags on demonstrators again exposed how dangerous are such actions of political activists, how easily they can trigger confrontation, even sectarian ones, how challenging it is for security forces to protect law and order,” Kubis said in a tweet.

Judicial and security authorities on Monday launched investigations into the overnight incidents that rocked central Beirut, under the supervision of State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, state-run National News Agency said.

NNA said the violence “resulted in the injury of a large number of servicemen and civilians, the vandalizing of cars and shops on Monot Street, and aggression and intimidation against innocent civilians.”

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday condemned the overnight incidents in central Beirut and on the Jiye highway between the capital and the South.

The incidents “are condemned by all standards, seeing as the struggle for livelihood was baptized in blood with the martyrdom of Hussein Shalhoub and Sanaa al-Jundi,” Berri said, referring to a car crash in which the two citizens were killed near a roadblock on the Jiye highway.

President Michel Aoun and caretaker PM Saad Hariri separately held meetings Monday with Richard Moore, Director General for Political Affairs at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office where talks discussed the latest developments.

Dozens of vehicles in Monot street and Saifi village, east of Beirut Central District, were vandalized after AMAL and Hizbullah supporters attacked anti-government protesters after midnight on Sunday across the Ring Bridge thoroughfare.

Richard Moore, Director General for Political Affairs at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is visiting Lebanon on Monday for high level meetings with Lebanese officials, accompanied by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Lebanon Chris Rampling, a press release said.

Supporters of Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement launched fresh attacks late Sunday on anti-corruption protesters in central Beirut, as roads were blocked across Lebanon in an escalation of anti-corruption protests.

Shortly before midnight on Sunday, men on foot and scooters arrived at a roadblock set up by anti-graft protesters across the Ring flyover in central Beirut.

Key roads around Lebanon were blocked by anti-government protesters on Monday following clashes throughout the night with AMAL and Hizbullah supporters.

A British envoy arrived in Beirut on Monday to meet with senior Lebanese officials in light of the latest developments in the country.