Fierce clashes erupted between Hizbullah fighters and the Free Syrian Army rebels in several Bekaa towns, media reports said on Friday.

The clashes took place overnight Thursday in the Bekaa towns of Nabi Sheet and Brital and al-Khodr, according to the reports.

Free Patriotic Movement caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil stressed on Friday the military institution will not be hit by vacuum if Army commander General Jean Qahwaji was referred to retirement.

“All the public institutions, in particular the security agency, can't suffer from vacant posts as the hierarchy prevents it,” Bassil said in comments published al-Akhbar newspaper.

Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, whose fate became uncertain after the army stormed his headquarters on June 24, resurfaced Thursday in an alleged audio message in which he described the deadly Sidon clashes as a plot aimed at ending his presence.

“You will know and everyone must know the normal context of the incident, or rather the massacre, that happened, which is not an isolated incident, as we had raised the voice several times over the attacks of the Party of Satan (Hizbullah), the criminal AMAL Movement and the shabiha (thugs) of the so-called Lebanese army, which is in the service of Hizbullah, AMAL Movement, the criminal Syrian regime and the Iranian regime,” Asir says in the audio recording.

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stated on Thursday that the recent clashes in the southern city of Sidon demonstrated that all sides must adhere to the state and its official armed forces.

He said: “We are in great need of a national plan and an expanded meeting of political forces to tackle the spread of illegitimate arms and groups.”

Senior Gulf Cooperation Council officials met in Riyadh on Thursday to coordinate sanctions in the six member states against Hizbullah over its support for the Syria regime.

The meeting was "to develop mechanisms to monitor movements, financial transactions and business operations of Hizbullah," said Bahraini deputy interior minister Khaled al-Absi.

Dar al-Fatwa Ulemas called on all the political and religious leaderships to consolidate efforts to maintain security in the country and prevent sedition.

“Political and religious figures must unite their stances and reject division... to guarantee the strength and stability of Muslims and the Sunni sect,” a statement read by Sheikh Hisham Khalifah said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority does not meddle in the affairs of Arab countries, including those of Lebanon.

He said: “We are in no need of weapons because we are protected by the Lebanese government and people.”

The joint parliamentary committees convened on Thursday to discuss the new wage scale for public employees after President Michel Suleiman signed the decree mid-June.

The committees decided to task Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan, who is loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, with forming a committee to study the decree.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Thursday 27 people, 10 of them in absentia, including Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir and singer-turned Salafist Fadel Shaker, over the deadly clashes with the Lebanese army.

The charges came after the army intelligence handed over the detained suspects to Saqr on Thursday.

Premier-designate Tammam Salam revealed on Thursday that he would likely form his government by the end of the month despite a freeze in the cooperation of the involved parties in his attempts to come up with a cabinet line-up.

In remarks to An Nahar newspaper, Salam said he will be patient with the different political parties that have been stalling in their cooperation with him.