Prime Minister Saad Hariri offered his condolences to Saudi King Salaman bin Abdulaziz over the death of his brother Abdul Rahman bin Abdulaziz, Hariri's media office said Saturday.

Hariri telephoned the Saudi King and expressed sorrow over the King's loss.

Talks circulating among political circles said the upcoming week may be decisive in terms of a possible military operation against terrorist groups in the outskirts of Arsal, and Hizbullah's “key role” in this battle fighting on the Lebanese side, al-Joumhouria daily reported Saturday.

Senior security sources who told the daily on condition of anonymity, that “Hizbullah has completed preparations for the battle and dispatched its fighters to the area.”

Parliamentary by-elections to fill three vacant seats in Keserwan and Tripoli will be held on the last Sunday of September, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.

Interior Ministry sources told the daily that by-elections in Keserwan (intended to fill the vacant Maronite seat of President Michel Aoun), and in Tripoli (to fill the Alawite seat left vacant by the death of MP Badr Wannous and another Greek Orthodox seat left vacant by the resignation of MP Robert Fadel) will be held on Sunday, September 24.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed the need to wage an assault against militants lingering in the northeastern border town of Arsal to “liberate” the area, pointing out to the role of the Resistance and Lebanese Army in that regard, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

“There are serious atmospheres about an assault that is going to take place in the outskirts. I am not worried, the Resistance and the Lebanese Army are both carrying out their duties,” Berri was quoted as telling his visitors.

Lebanon's State Security apparatus arrested two Syrian nationals on suspicion of spying on the country's army forces, the State-run National News Agency reported on Friday.

A State Security patrol in al-Nabatieh arrested Mohammed Aa. and Hussein S., both Syrians, against the backdrop of spying on the Lebanese army, NNA said.

Families of soldiers abducted by the Islamic State group briefly blocked a main road in Downtown Beirut demanding knowing the fate of their sons after more than three years in the Islamic State group's captivity.

The relatives blocked the Banks Road in Riad al-Solh and demanded that “Prime Minister Saad Hariri come down to the street to negotiate with them.”

The US Administration admires Lebanon's policy and its ability to confront terrorism and has therefore encouraged President Donald Trump to strengthen ties with the country, al-Diyar daily reported on Friday.

“The US administration has absolute confidence in Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and in Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, therefore it is unlikely for the US Treasury to impose new sanctions on Lebanon,” a report published in the daily said.

State Minister for Affairs of the Displaced Moein Merhebi warned of the consequences if Hizbullah carries out a military assault in the outskirts of Arsal, and stressed that the return of the Syrian refugees must strictly be coordinated with the United Nations, the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Friday.

Merehbi said Hizbullah's assault against IS militants in Arsal impacts Lebanon, “the military operation has negative impact, it (Hizbullah) must not involve itself. We have a Lebanese national army that is doing the job in the best way possible," he said.

The government on Wednesday avoided a possible dispute over the mechanism of appointing civil servants by postponing the debate to another session as it approved an item on wind power generation.

Several hundred displaced Syrians in Lebanon have returned home on Wednesday to the Syrian town of Asal al-Ward, the National News Agency said.

Around 300 refuges, the second batch since beginning of 2017, left the al-Nour encampment in the northeastern border town of Arsal to Syria's Asal al-Ward, which lies in the western part of Syria's Qalamoun, NNA said.