A group of men in civilian clothes, who claimed they were affiliated to the Lebanese army’s intelligence branch, attacked on Monday a petrol station owner in Tyre after he refused to fill gallons of gasoline, the National News Agency reported.

The assaulted man suffered fractures and bruises in his shoulder and was rushed to a Sidon hospital for treatment, the NNA said, noting that the offenders fled the area.

Following the attack, security forces were dispatched to the region and they opened an investigation into the incident.

Workers at the station said they had already filled some gallons for the attackers after they claimed they were affiliated to the army’s intelligence branch.

On April 15, Lebanon’s caretaker energy minister blamed the country’s fuel crisis on profiteers who smuggle gasoline into neighboring Syria.

At a cabinet meeting to discuss the issue, Raymond Ghajar said the gap in gasoline prices between the two countries meant smugglers could make huge profits.

“The price of 20 liters of gasoline in Lebanon is 40,000 Lebanese pounds while the official price in Syria stands at 140,000 Syrian pounds and at 240,000 in the black market,” Ghajar said in a cabinet statement.

“The Syrian market’s needs for gasoline drive Lebanese smugglers to sneak gasoline into Syria to achieve huge profits.”

Lebanon is in the throes of a deep financial crisis which is posing the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war.