Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi met on Wednesday Pope Francis I with whom he took part in the daily mass held at the Vatican.

The patriarch then held a closed-door meeting with the pontiff during which he requested that he offer his blessing to Lebanon and the Middle East.

Clashes in the northern city of Tripoli intensified Wednesday afternoon, a day after fierce battles rocked the city, claiming the lives of at least 12 people.

Meanwhile, the meetings of the leaders of the Bab al-Tabbaneh's fighting frontiers failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in the city, LBCI television revealed.

Syria's opposition urged the Arab League and the Lebanese government on Wednesday to prevent the continued influx of Hizbullah fighters into Syria.

"We call on the Arab League and its secretary general to take a stance befitting these events," said Acting National Coalition opposition chief George Sabra.

Supporters of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir blocked several roads in Sidon on Wednesday to stop the burial of a Hizbullah fighter at a Sunni cemetery in the southern coastal city.

Media reports said several Sidon residents joined the protest.

Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn called on officials to stop meddling in the country's security, pointing out that the country will most likely fall into sedition if the clashes in the northern city of Tripoli weren't controlled by the army.

“The army is playing an important role in the northern city... It was granted the green light by the political power to do what is necessary,” Ghosn said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3)on Wednesday.

Efforts exerted by Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam hit several roadblocks this week after fighting engulfed the northern city of Tripoli and Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian war drew strong local and international condemnation.

A proposal to give the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance, the March 14 coalition and the centrists eight ministers each in the new cabinet collapsed after Hizbullah's involvement in the fighting in Syria, informed sources told An Nahar daily published Wednesday.

Speaker Nabih Berri is holding consultations with political foes away from media spotlight as a last attempt for reaching common ground over a new electoral law before resorting to the extension of the parliament's mandate.

A proposal made by Zahle MP Nicolas Fattoush to extend the mandate of the parliament by two years was sent to lawmakers later on Wednesday to study it.

A U.S. congress delegation is scheduled to arrive in Beirut in the upcoming few days to hold talks with senior officials over the situation in Lebanon and the region.

According to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Wednesday, the delegation will also discuss the impact of the conflict in Syria on the neighboring countries including Lebanon.

The White House on Tuesday condemned Hizbullah's "direct intervention" in the battle for the Syrian rebel stronghold of Qusayr, and slammed President Bashar Assad for seeking help from Iran.

A day after President Barack Obama called President Michel Suleiman to express concern over the role of the party in Syria, his spokesman Jay Carney amplified U.S. concerns about an expansion of the war.

The United States said Tuesday it does not differentiate between Hizbullah's armed and political wings as it again urged Europe to blacklist the group, a decision diplomats indicated could be imminent.

A formal request to brand the party as a terrorist group was filed by Britain and is to be discussed at closed-door talks June 4 of a committee overseeing the EU list of people and groups subject to its asset freezing regime, European diplomats said.