General Security said on Tuesday that it has arrested five Lebanese on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic State extremist group for the purpose of carrying out bombings and tasking thugs with causing riots during the latest protests held in downtown Beirut.

A communique issued by the agency said the five Lebanese have set up a terrorist network that plotted blasts to target bases and vehicles belonging to the Lebanese army and security forces.

Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq reiterated during talks with hunger strikers on Tuesday that his resignation would have negative consequences, one of the activists said.

Waref Suleiman, who has been on hunger strike for the past 14 days, said al-Mashnouq told the delegation that he was fighting corruption similar to civil society activists.

The trial of Ahmed al-Asir at the military court was on Tuesday postponed to October 20 upon the request of defense lawyers.

The military judge's decision to adjourn the session was expected because it was the first time that the Salafist cleric went on trial.

The relatives of the servicemen taken hostage by jihadists in August last year are planning to hold a protest in downtown Beirut on Wednesday.

Nizam Mughit, one of the family members, said Tuesday: “We will resort to the streets tomorrow, hoisting the pictures of the kidnapped servicemen to tell everyone that this case has not been closed.”

Civil society activists held a protest near the finance ministry in Beirut on Tuesday to stop the transfer of the salaries of lawmakers whom they accuse of being corrupt.

Police immediately deployed in the area to stop the protesters from entering the building similar to when demonstrators stormed the environment ministry earlier this month to demand the minister's resignation.

Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb stressed on Monday that only partnership would guarantee the success of the committee tasked with resolving the two-month long waste crisis.

“Let's give it a chance before it's too late,” he told reporters in a press conference following the meeting of the Parliamentary Environment Committee.

Public Works Minister Ghazi Zoaiter on Monday shoved off the responsibility of possible floods caused by waste dumped on the side of the streets on municipalities.

During a press conference he held at his office, Zoaiter said the trash dumped on the side of the roads and on the banks of rivers will cause a problem at the start of the rain season.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has said that the demands of civil society on the country's waste crisis are “righteous” but he warned against attempts to create chaos.

The civil society protests are “righteous,” Salam told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Monday. But the PM warned against “creating chaos and destruction as a result of some suspicious practices.”

British Prime Minister David Cameron inspected on Monday Syrian refugees in the eastern town of Terbol and later met with PM Tammam Salam to throw his support behind the Lebanese government.

Cameron said at a joint press conference with Salam at the Grand Serail that the UK will continue to assist Lebanon against the Islamic State extremist group and to provide aid over the refugee crisis.

Activists and municipalities rejected Thursday a decision by the government to temporarily reopen the controversial Naameh garbage landfill and to set up a landfill in the Akkar town of Srar.

“In line with the municipal council's previous decisions and stances, the conferees unanimously stressed their rejection of any attempt to reopen the landfill, not even for one hour,” the Naameh Municipality said in a statement issued after an emergency meeting.