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.

Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi has called on the international coalition fighting the Islamic State terrorist group to defend Lebanon if it was invaded by terrorists.

Qazzi told An Nahar daily published on Tuesday that the Lebanese authorities should officially ask the coalition to make a pledge on protecting Lebanon against terrorist organizations.

France and the United States are reportedly competing to arm the Lebanese military and benefit from the Saudi grants as it desperately needs weapons to confront the increasing threats by militants, in particular along Lebanon's eastern border.

A source following up the army deals under two Saudi financial grants told al-Akhbar newspaper published on Tuesday that the U.S. arms are very different from the French arms that ODAS company is in charge of delivering to Lebanon.

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal movement on Monday stressed their “firm support” for the Lebanese army in its fight against terrorist groups, following deadly weekend clashes against jihadist militants in Ras Baalbek's outskirts.

“The conferees underlined their firm stance on supporting the army and security forces through all means in their efforts to confront terrorism and protect Lebanon,” said a statement issued by the two parties after their fourth dialogue session in Ain al-Tineh.