Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated that the election of a president alone does not solve Lebanon's pending problems, and highlighted the necessity for political factions to shoulder responsibility and agree on controversial issues, al-Joumhouria daily said on Thursday.

“Everyone must shoulder their responsibility in order (for Lebanon) to get out of the crisis,” visitors to Berri quoted him as saying.

A Lebanese army helicopter destroyed late Wednesday a position of al-Nusra Front on the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal, the National News Agency said.

An army chopper launched an evening raid and rocketed the positions of Nusra targeting it with three rockets,NNA added.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said Wednesday that all Lebanese must cooperate to “cut off the hand of terrorism” during a visit to Baalbek and several Bekaa towns.

Resigned Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi on Wednesday urged the Arab states to confront what he called the “hegemony” of Hizbullah and Iran over Lebanon.

Electrictie du Liban contract workers staged protests on Wednesday and blocked the vital highway of Charles Helou protesting the officials failure to meet their longstanding demand for their full-time employment.

The protest kicked off at 10:00 am amid intense security measures.

The Lebanese army arrested forty Syrian suspects on Wednesday in raids it staged on refugee encampments in the Bekaa town of Hermel, the National News Agency reported.

Army troops and intelligence units carried out a wide-scale raid that began at 6:00 am and that included the displaced encampments in the region of Hermel in al-Tall, Hosh al-Sayyed Ali and al-Shawagir, NNA added.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji emphasized that the army exerts relentless efforts to fight back terrorism as he emphasized that he does not interfere in the decisions of the authorities as for his term extension, As Safir daily reported on Wednesday.

“The army is locked in a close race with terrorism which seeks to target its arena,” Qahwaji told the daily in an interview.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq on Tuesday reiterated his belief that a president will be elected before the end of the year.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil stressed Tuesday that the FPM insists on the appointment of a new army chief and called for respecting sectarian balances in the presidential vote.

The United States has delivered $50 million worth of military assistance to the Lebanese army to help it battle against jihadist extremists near the border with Syria.