A Progressive Socialist Party delegation dispatched by MP Walid Jumblat held talks Thursday in Maarab with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil held talks Thursday afternoon with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.

The Internal Security Forces announced Thursday that it has arrested 91 Syrians who tried to cross illegally into Lebanon.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced Thursday that he is optimistic that an agreement on a new electoral law will be reached soon, while stressing the importance of “reaching an equation that ensures correct representation.”

An Israeli patrol on Thursday tried to kidnap 23-year-old Lebanese shepherd Maher Fares Hamdan from the al-Shahel area in the outskirts of the southern border town of Shebaa, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

A Palestinian and a Syrian have been arrested for “belonging to the terrorist al-Nusra Front group” and seeking to destabilize the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, General Security said.

Military Prosecutor Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Thursday five Lebanese with involvement with the Islamic State militant group, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said the suspects, two of whom were already in detention, were charged for taking part in security and military operations in favor of the IS.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized on Thursday Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq for being “unruffled” by the road accidents and the latest road-blocking strike that paralyzed traffic in various Lebanese regions and left drivers stranded in vehicles for hours.

“The Interior Minister is unruffled while running the safety of roads, road accidents and the truck owners strike. As if he lives in the arctic,” said Jumblat in a sarcastic tweet on Thursday.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz said a massive explosion near Damascus International Airport on Thursday was consistent with Israel's policy, but stopped short of confirming his country was behind it.

Israeli warplanes have hit the airport and other bases around the Syrian capital in the past, targeting what it said were weapons stockpiles of its Lebanese foe Hizbullah, which is allied with the Syrian government.

For the second day in a row, truck owners started rallying on several roads around Lebanon early on Thursday to protest Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq's decision to shut down sand mining and stone crushing sites, as citizens fear that the bizarre Wednesday scenario of road-blocking could be repeated.

According to the Traffic Management Center, truckers gathered on the Safra highway, Dora-Karantina highway, Zahrani highway and the Khalde-Beirut highway near the Costa Brava.