Prime Minister Saad Hariri received a delegation from the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) where talks touched on several issues including the US sanctions on Hizbullah, Hariri's media office said.

The delegation was headed by Joseph Torbey who said after the meeting: “We discussed several issues with Prime Minister Hariri, including his upcoming visit to the United States.

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry has welcomed the liberation of the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group as a "great victory" for the Iraqi people.

The ministry called for intensified regional efforts to contain the spread of terrorism "from one nest to another."

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Tuesday urged an end to what he called a “storm of hatred” against Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan on Monday praised the Lebanese army and emphasized that its conduct during the security sweep on encampments of refugees in the northeastern border town of Arsal targeted terrorists.

“The conduct of the Lebanese army during the military operation targeted terrorists in the outskirts of Arsal, it was not against the refugees encampments. It was of a security nature,” said Hassan during a memorial service.

The Free Patriotic Movement is weighing the possibility of replacing some of the ministers representing the movement in the government over “unsatisfactory performance and productivity”, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

The daily quoted some well-informed sources, they said the FPM is considering “a ministerial reshuffle” of some of its ministers, but that the idea has not “matured yet.”

Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf emphasized on Monday that campaigns against the Lebanese army will not discourage the apparatus from carrying out its duties and cracking down on terrorists and militants.

Syria airstrikes at dawn on Monday targeted positions of al-Nusra Front militant group in the northeastern border town of Arsal, the National News Agency reported.

Heavy celebratory gunfire was heard in several Lebanese areas on Saturday after the announcement of Grade 12 official exams results, although Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq had urged people to restrain from firing and encouraged citizens to take to the streets and “revolt.”

VDL (93.3) said gunfire was heard in the southern Palestinian Refugee Camp of Ain el-Hilweh in Sidon, in Baalbek, in the northern neighborhood of al-Beddawi in Tripoli, in Bebnine and Akkar.

Political parties close to Hizbullah's decision-makers said the party has “set the zero hour for a joint military operation, alongside groups of special units in the Syrian army, against terrorist and extremist groups in the outskirts of Arsal,” the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily reported on Saturday.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said he is willing to carry out any mission entrusted to him by the Lebanese government as for dialogue with Syria to facilitate the return of displaced Syrians home, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.