Prime Minister Tammam Salam stressed on Wednesday that Lebanon is in the heart of the battle against terrorism and must help with the efforts to eradicate it, as he emphasized that the first step to end disorder is through the election of a president.

“Lebanon is in the heart of the battle against terrorism. It is directly involved with the reduction of violent extremism that has made our region and the world a bloody panel,” said Salam in a speech at the Grand Serail during the launching of official talks over the national plan to fight terrorism.

Lebanon's Hizbullah, which is taking part in Syria's conflict, has said that it supports the latest ceasefire deal agreed by the U.S. and Russia but vowed to continue fighting against the Islamic State group and Fateh al-Sham Front, which was known as al-Nusra Front before renouncing its affiliation with al-Qaida.

The Lebanese army detected an Israeli spy device in a liberated part of Lebanese land along the occupied Shebaa Farms, the Army Command Orientation directorate said in a statement on Saturday.

“On September 9, 2016 an army task force discovered a spy device that belongs to the Israeli enemy inside liberated Lebanese lands near the occupied Shebaa Farms. An army patrol headed to the location and found that the Israeli enemy has already removed the device and moved it inside occupied lands,” said the statement.

The Lebanese army arrested two Lebanese citizens on the coastal city of Jbeil, north of Beirut for helping Syrian nationals illegally enter into Lebanon, the Army Command Orientation Directorate said in a statement on Saturday.

“An Intelligence bureau patrol arrested two Lebanese citizens in Jbeil, Youssef Shawkat Amer and Ali Qassem al-Ajami, on charges of smuggling six Syrians into Lebanon,” said the statement.

A doctor at Baalbek's hospital of Ibn Sina who was kidnapped on Tuesday was freed Friday at midnight, the state-run National News Agency reported on Saturday.

Doctor Saleh al-Shal, a medical director at the hospital, was freed by his kidnappers in Baalbek's town of Douris, NNA added.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi rejected on Saturday the calls for holding a constituent assembly and said that reducing the Christians presence is totally rejected, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

“We have not implemented the Taef accord yet. What constituent assembly are they talking about?” sources from Bkirki quoted al-Rahi as saying.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea rejected attempts aiming at introducing amendments to Lebanon's constitution and dubbed any endeavor in that direction as a “ leap into the unknown,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

“A suggestion to hold a new constituent assembly is totally rejected because any attempt to change the constitution is a leap into the unknown,” said Geagea in an interview to the daily.

Investigations being run with detained Islamic State group militants have shown that the IS had plans to carry out three massive attacks in Lebanon during the holy month of Ramadan and that one of the schemes was to target the southern suburbs of Beirut with 3 tons of explosives in a suicide attack that would "shake the esteem of Hizbullah's leadership", al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

The IS planned to carry out “centralized and quality” operations in each of the attacks with the aim of striking a blow to the economic sector and social environment, added the daily.

Founder of the Free Patriotic Movement and a runner in the race to become president MP Michel Aoun complained on Friday that none of the political figures are speaking or holding discussions with him, as he stressed that he did not request to dissociate himself, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

“No one is talking to me now that the main Christian candidate has delivered his word...I never said I don't want to consult with anyone! They are the ones who do not want to talk to me,” visitors to Aoun quoted him as saying.

The cabinet convened at the Grand Serail on Thursday in the presence of 16 ministers and the absence of the Free Patriotic Movement, Tashnaq and Hizbullah members of government, a meeting which Premier Tammam Salam described as “constitutional and respects the National Pact.”

Information Minister Ramzi Jreije quoted the PM and said: “The meeting is constitutional and respects the National Pact. But the PM paved the way for further consultations as for the current crisis in order to find solutions.”