Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat lamented on Saturday the rise of extremism in Lebanon at the expense of moderation, stressing the need to combat it through backing the state and the army.

He said in a statement: “The recent developments demonstrate that the spread of arms cannot be tackled through more arms … but through the return to dialogue.”

Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour has maintained efforts to form a new government in light of his recent trip to Saudi Arabia where he held talks with former Premier Saad Hariri and a number of Saudi officials, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

Sources monitoring his talks with Hariri said that “all obstacles leading to the solution over the government deadlock remain.”

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun totally rejected attempts to extend the tenure army chief General Jean Qahwaji, vowing to challenge it before the Constitutional Council.

Aoun accused in an interview on Thursday former Prime Minister Saad Hariri of exploiting the recent two-day battle in the southern city of Sidon to push forward the extension of Qahwaji's term, considering it “illegal.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati welcomed on Thursday Speaker Nabih Berri's call for a parliamentary session during the first week of July as long as it focuses on the importance of extending the mandate of security leaders.

“I am at the forefront of those who welcomed holding the session if its priority is to discuss the extension of security leaders' terms, in particular, Army Chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji,” Miqati said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

Parliament's bureau will on Wednesday set the agenda for a parliamentary session that is scheduled to vote on the extension of army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji's mandate, media reports have said.

LBCI TV said the session will be held in early July.

The Speaker and Head of AMAL movement Nabih Berri denied on Wednesday reports saying that his supporters and Hizbullah members participated alongside the army in the battles in the southern city of Sidon.

“I urged AMAL supporters and the Haret Saida's residents to exercise self-restraint,” Berri said in comments published in local newspapers.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday responded to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's accusations of his party supporting gunmen against the military institution, assuring that he gave “full political cover” for the army in its fight in the southern city of Sidon.

"We announced our support for the army in words and in deeds, and gave it full cover to strike with an iron fist anyone who may be tempted to assault the state and threaten national peace,” Hariri said in a released statement.

The United States has expressed grave concern over the latest battles that pitted fighters supporting Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir against Lebanese soldiers in the southern city of Sidon.

The U.S. “is gravely concerned by the violent clashes in Sidon,” U.S. State Department Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell said Monday.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday stressed that al-Mustaqbal movement “will remain with the army,” saying the military institution did the right thing by confronting Islamist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir.

“The army offered major sacrifices and we must all embrace it,” Hariri said in an interview on Future TV.

Speaker Nabih Berri considered on Monday that targeting the army is rejected and condemned, describing it as a “treason.”

“The army command has the right to do whatever it sees appropriate to defend the country and prevent anyone from meddling with its security,” Berri said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.