Casino du Liban was plunged into a major crisis on Tuesday after the board of directors sacked 191 contract employees in a step it described as a “salvation” move, which prompted the laid off workers to shut down the vital tourist attraction.

“Due to your lack of discipline and your irregular attendance at work, hence your lack of productivity at the Casino du Liban company, it has been decided to consider you dismissed from work at your full responsibility as of the evening of Friday, January 30, 2015,” the company said in a dismissal letter sent to the employees.

The Change and Reform bloc urged the army on Tuesday to finish its battle with extremist groups along the eastern border, saying it should bolster its positions and put an end to the infiltrations of terrorists.

Former Minister Salim Jreissati said at the end of the bloc's weekly meeting: “We call for cooperation between the Lebanese and Syrian armies to achieve this goal.”

Experts from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization inspected on Tuesday the Beirut slaughterhouse to assess the situation at the facility in light of its closure in November.

The team of three international experts, accompanied by Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb, toured the abattoir ahead of making the necessary recommendations to ensure that it meets the necessary modern and food safety standards.

Ten Real Estate Registry employees were charged on Tuesday with the squandering of public funds, reported the National News Agency.

The charges also include the abuse of authority and accepting bribes.

The Christian patriarchs of the Orient on Tuesday urged the international community and humanitarian organizations to offer aid to the refugees in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, as they called for ending all support to terrorist organizations.

“The fathers expressed grief over the martyrdom of eight more Lebanese Army soldiers as they were performing the duty of defending the border in the face of the terrorist groups,” said a statement issued after a meeting in Bkirki for the Council of Patriarchs of the Orient.

The United States delivered on Tuesday a shipment of military vehicles to Lebanon to aid the Lebanese army in its mission to combat terrorist threats, in particular along its eastern border.

The U.S. embassy announced via its account on Twitter that the U.S. “delivered dozens more brand new armored Humvees to protect the Lebanese army soldiers in the line of duty.”

UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Luciano Portolano stressed on Tuesday that joint efforts between the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the Lebanese army aim at defusing tensions and guaranteeing stability in the South.

“No doubt the regional developments remind us of the challenges that the UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces continuously face to maintain stability in its area of operations,” Portolano said in an interview with the state-run National News Agency.

Middle East Airlines joined on Tuesday other carriers in the region to cancel flights to Baghdad after a plane from Dubai came under fire as it landed in the Iraqi capital a day earlier.

A short statement said MEA canceled the flights to and from the Iraqi capital for Tuesday given the circumstances at Baghdad International Airport.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on Tuesday for ending support to terrorist organizations and the closure of the border to stop the infiltration of gunmen.

During a meeting for Catholic Patriarchs in Bkirki, al-Rahi urged the eradication of terrorists, and called on their backers to stop arming them and halt their financial support.

The Lebanese army targeted militant posts and movements on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek in the eastern Bekaa, media reports said on Tuesday.

The army heavily shelled the outskirts of the area where gunmen are entrenched.