Prime Minister Tammam Salam warned on Monday that the security situation in Lebanon would not improve if the presidential elections were not held.

In remarks to employees and reporters at a ceremony held at the Grand Serail, Salam said: “Making this achievement would open a new page to the nation and comfort the people.”

President Michel Suleiman tasked on Monday Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil with documenting the cross-border attacks against Lebanese villages.

Suleiman tasked Bassil with documenting the assault on border villages by the Syrian regime in order to take the necessary diplomatic measures.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil warned on Monday of a plot to keep Syrian refugees in Lebanon for a long time.

He also warned of a plan “for the refugees to equip themselves militarily in order to carry outs attacks beyond Lebanese borders.”

The Lebanese army defused on Monday dynamite sticks at the science faculty of the Lebanese University in al-Qobbeh area of the northern city of Tripoli, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The army found inside the campus 400 grams of dynamite sticks that were rigged to explode, NNA said.

Beirut Examining Magistrate Ghassan Owaidat issued on Monday arrest warrants in absentia against the sons of the former head of the Higher Relief Council, Ibrahim Bashir, the state-run National News Agency reported.

A warrant was also issued against a third person, Hassan Jaber, involved in the embezzlement of state funds, smuggling and money laundering, NNA said.

The death toll for the sectarian clashes that engulfed the northern city of Tripoli increased to 27 on Monday after a man succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

Accoridng to LBCI Abdullah Minnawi passed away as 12 days of fighting pro- and anti-Damascus fighters in the country's second city Tripoli subsided on Monday.

President Michel Suleiman discussed on Monday with Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Baabda Palace the general security situation, the state-run National News Agency reported.

According to NNA, the two officials tackled the recent local developments, in particular, the security situation.

President Michel Suleiman traveled on Monday to the Gulf Monarch Kuwait at the head of a delegation to attend the Arab League Summit as the situation in Lebanon is expected to top its agenda.

The delegation is comprised of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour along with a number of advisers and security and administrative delegations.

Speaker Nabih Berri has revealed that he formed a committee to hold consultations with Lebanon's rival parties on the upcoming presidential elections.

The members of the committee are from his Development and Liberation bloc, the speaker, who is the head of Amal movement, said.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji stressed on Monday that the battle against terrorism and terrorists is open, expressing relief over the measures implemented along the Syrian-Lebanese border.

“Terrorism threatens all the Lebanese without any exception,” Qahwaji pointed out in comments published in As Safir newspaper.