Prime Minister Tammam Salam and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Tuesday saluted all the local and external parties that contributed to the release of 16 servicemen who were held by al-Nusra Front, during an emotional welcoming ceremony that was held at the Grand Serail.

“Our heroes endured and persevered and we also endured with them, which allowed us to achieve this joy. I cannot but remember the martyrs on this occasion, the last of whom was Mohammed Hamiyeh,” Salam said, referring to four servicemen who were executed by al-Nusra and the Islamic State group.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah held a meeting with Khamenei's adviser on international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati where talks highlighted the latest developments, al-Manar TV website said.

Velayati was accompanied by deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdul Lahyan and the accompanying delegation in the presence of Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Fathali.

Officials welcomed on Tuesday the release of the servicemen that were kidnapped by the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front, while hoping that efforts will be made to ensure the release of the hostages held by the Islamic State extremist group.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour paid a visit to the sit-in held by the servicemen's families in downtown Beirut, pledging that the “state will not waver in exerting efforts to release the remaining hostages.”

The Lebanese army arrested overnight a member of Osama Mansour's terrorist group in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh, the National News Agency said on Tuesday.

Khaled Makkieh was arrested in the vegetable market of Bab al-Tabbaneh for participating in attacks against army positions in the northern city of Tripoli, NNA added.

The al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front released on Tuesday 16 servicemen it had abducted from the northeastern border town of Arsal in 2014.

The servicemen were released through a Qatari-mediated deal that also included a prisoner swap to release a number of inmates from Lebanese jails.

Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun has informed his ally Hizbullah of his rejection to nominate Marada leader MP Suleiman Franjieh for the post of presidency, An Nahar daily said on Tuesday.

Aoun, himself a candidate of March 8 alliance, has also informed Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geaega of the stance, added the daily.

Al-Nusra Front announced Monday afternoon that negotiations with Lebanon over a prisoner swap deal were still in the phase of “devising a serious mechanism,” as several media reports said the talks were making progress again after Sunday's setback.

“Negotiations over the captive servicemen who are in our custody are still in the phase of devising a serious mechanism for implementing what has been agreed on,” al-Nusra announced via Twitter.

The army carried out a series of raids on Monday in several regions, during which 81 Syrians were arrested.

An army statement said the Syrian nationals were apprehended for entering Lebanon illegally.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr decided to disregard allegations that tape recordings presented as evidence to the court in the case of former Minister Michel Samaha are forged, the state-run National News Agency said on Monday.

Samaha's defense team had presented claims to the Military Court of Cassation that tape recordings in the case were fake.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said on Monday that he will not stop the attempts to release the kidnapped soldiers after the set back suffered on Sunday due to the last minute impossible demands set by the kidnappers, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

“I will not stop working and striving. I will continue the efforts despite the policy of blackmail. Those are our sons and the sons of the nation and I will not give up on them,” he told the daily.