BEIRUT: Scuffles erupted Tuesday on the Masnaa border crossing between customs officials and protesters demanding the release of a man arrested last week after the discovery of a weapons cache and suspected training camps, sources told The Daily Star.

Protesters set up tents on the Masnaa road to protest against the arrest of Hasan Ali, said by protesters to be a Sheikh, who was arrested along with two other men after an arms cache was found on the outskirts of a town in southeast Lebanon.

In a statement last week the Army denied Ali was a Sheikh, and said he was also accused of establishing training camps for gunmen.

The presence of protesters on the Masnaa road Tuesday prompted the Army to divert traffic to other roads. Customs officials, angry about the disruption to their work, quarreled with the protestors.

The army was able to control the dispute and no causalities were reported.

In its statement the Army said that troops raided the suspected cache outside Bireh in the southeastern district of Rashaya last Tuesday.

It added that it had referred the three men to the appropriate authorities.