Report: Lebanese Ministers to Head to Syria at Official's Invitation

As reports emerge that “coordination at the military level might take place” between Lebanon and Syria, it has also been reported that around three Lebanese ministers "might make a trip to Syria to meet an invitation" of a Syrian official, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

“Minister of Agriculture Ghazi Zoaiter and Minister of Industry Hussein Hajj Hassan will travel to Syria on August 16 to meet the invitation of Syrian Minister of Economy and Trade,” said the daily.

“Lebanon's Minister of Finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, will later travel to Damascus at the invitation of Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis,” it added.

The daily said that “questions were raised as to whether these visits need approval from the council of ministers or would be considered as "private visits.””

Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Samir al-Jisr told the VDL (100.5) Monday that he had ”no knowledge about the ministers' visit, but if it is true it must be a decision of the council of ministers.”

Unnamed military sources over the weekend rejected reports alleging military coordination with the Syrian army to fight the Islamic State group in the outskirts of the eastern border towns of al-Qaa and Baalbek.

The army has intensified its shelling of the IS jihadist group’s posts in recent days in the outskirts of al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek amid reports that an army operation to oust IS from the border region has become imminent.

The developments follow a Hizbullah offensive that ended the presence of the jihadist al-Nusra Front group in Arsal’s outskirts.