A Lebanese man kidnapped Wednesday in the outskirts of the Bekaa town of Arsal was freed on Thursday by his abductors.

“Maher al-Amatouri, who was nabbed from Wadi Hmeid in Arsal's outskirts, has been released,” LBCI TV reported on Thursday evening.

The Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front on Thursday poured cold water on recent optimism in Lebanon over the case of the captive troops, noting that it has not pledged not to execute more soldiers, only hours after the Lebanese government said it expects positive news “in the coming days.”

“Recent reports on Lebanese media outlets alleging that we have pledged not to kill any captive soldier are baseless, and no one is authorized to represent us or negotiate on our behalf,” the group said in a statement published on its official Twitter account.

Army chief General Jean Qahwaji on Thursday said he expects the eruption of a “new battle” with jihadist militants in the outskirts of the Bekaa border town of Arsal, revealing that the army has “detected” the presence of a terror cell in the northern city of Tripoli.

“The Lebanese army has reinforced its deployment on Arsal's hills and isolated the town from its outskirts, in order to besiege the gunmen and prevent them from receiving any supplies,” Qahwaji said in an interview with Sky News Arabia.

A Special Tribunal for Lebanon appeals panel on Thursday reversed a decision by the Contempt Judge, who had ruled that the court does not have jurisdiction to sue al-Jadeed television on charges of contempt.

“The Appeals Panel of three judges appointed to consider an appeal relating to the STL’s jurisdiction in (the case against New TV S.A.L) has decided by majority that the STL does have jurisdiction to hear cases of obstruction of justice against legal persons (corporate entities),” the STL said in a statement.

Customs agents have managed to arrest the owner of a furniture factory and the members of a gang that was plotting to smuggle around a million Captagon pills to a Gulf country.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Lebanese Customs Administration said it had obtained information on Tuesday about “preparations to export quantities of narcotics to a country in the Arab Gulf after hiding them in pieces of furniture.”

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr on Thursday filed a lawsuit against a detainee and 10 fugitives, including notorious Tripoli militants Shadi al-Mawlawi and Osama Mansour.

According to state-run National News Agency, they were charged with “belonging to an armed terrorist group in order to stage terrorist acts, and holing up at a Tripoli mosque with the aim of preparing bombs and explosive devices to target Lebanese army troops in the area.”

Military Investigative Judge Fadi Sawwan indicted eight Lebanese and a Syrian national for belonging to armed groups that took part in several terrorist attacks in Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

The Lebanese were indicted for triggering sectarian strife in the northern city of Tripoli during the Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen clashes.

The families of Arsal captives held a sit-in near the Grand Serail on Thursday to protest the state's procrastination regarding the release of their relatives, who were abducted by Islamist gunmen in August.

“We warn of further delay in resolving the case of our sons,” the relatives told reporters gathering in Riyadh al-Solh Square, demanding swift negotiations with jihadists, who are taking positions on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Mediations between kidnappers of the Arsal soldiers and the Qatari negotiator could herald the release of one of the soldiers before al-Adha holiday, meanwhile sources close to the premiership stressed that efforts continue in that regard.

The Qatari mediator expects the release of one or more of the soldiers that were kidnapped, as a “good will gesture” before al-Adha holiday, al-Akhbar daily reported on Thursday.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq stated that Hizbullah is demonstrating “openness” regarding resolving the situation in the northeastern border town of Arsal, reported al-Mustaqbal daily on Thursday.

He told the daily: “The ongoing discussions with the party are positive and further meetings are necessary with it in the future in order to reach solutions.”