The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) reportedly abducted overnight at gunpoint Syrian national Ahmed Ta'an Assi in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Hussam Trad, who is is also known as Abi Bakr, kidnapped at the head of an armed group Assi near his house Arsal and transported him to an unknown location in a maroon Jeep Grand Chrokee that didn't carry any license plates, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel questioned the opposition of some officials to the extension of the term of security figures, stressing that he seeks the interests of the army, reported As Safir newspaper on Saturday.

He told the daily: “Those who oppose the extension are not aware of the conditions the army is passing through.”

Unknown assailants tossed at dawn a hand grenade in the Miyeh Miyeh Palestinian refugee camp in the southern city of Sidon, reported the National News Agency on Saturday.

It said that the grenade was thrown at an apartment that is under construction.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq is scheduled to travel to the United State next week to hold a series of political and security meetings with a number of American officials, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Saturday.

The minister's sources told the daily that the visit “will be very important on the political and security levels.”

Head of the Maronite patriarchate in Bkirki held consultations on Friday with a number of Christian leaderships over the presidential deadlock, reported An Nahar daily on Saturday.

It said that the talks focused on how to “develop ways to demand the election of a president after it appeared that all theoretical positions did not lead to holding the polls.”

Head of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora is scheduled to present his testimony before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Monday, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

Widely-informed sources told the daily that the testimony “introduces a new phase of the trial.”

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is scheduled to travel to Lebanon in April to oversee the first shipment of weapons to the Lebanese army as part of a deal with Saudi Arabia that was reached in 2014, reported al-Mustaqbal daily on Saturday.

It said that the minister is set to arrive in Lebanon on April 20 for a two-day visit.

Media reports have revealed the identity of the new Qatari mediator who was tasked with conducting negotiations with terrorist groups to release the servicemen abducted by Islamist gunmen, as the government continues contacts with the Islamist State in that regard.

Sources following up closely on the file said that “Qatar has resumed direct negotiations with the kidnappers through a Syrian negotiator named Abou Anas,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil held talks on Friday with head of the Kataeb Party Amin Gemayel to tackle the extension of the term of security officials, most notably the appointment of Commando Regiment chief Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz as army commander, reported al-Liwaa newspaper on Saturday.

Gemayel had asked Bassil if head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun was still seeking to run for the presidency, to which the minister replied yes.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour referred on Friday the case of the death of a child at a daycare center in Beirut to the General Prosecution.

The case of the death of Jana Hussein Deeb at Dima daycare in Beirut's Hay al-Sellom area was referred to the concerned judicial authorities.